Bill Murray stars in a Jeep Super Bowl commercial reprising his role as Phil Connors from 1993’s Groundhog Day. This year’s Super Bowl LIV is airing on the February 2 holiday, making a commercial celebrating not just the date but the comedy that turned the weird tradition into a phenomenon a more than apt choice.
Murray is, of course, a beloved American actor who’s starred in numerous films, but his role as a man trapped in a time loop while visiting Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania for its yearly groundhog festivities is one of his most iconic. While not a blockbuster smash upon release, Groundhog Day has since become so popular it’s inspired a whole sub genre of films that hinge on the idea of characters repeating a day, like the Happy Death Day movies. Thus far, no sequel or remake of Groundhog Day itself has come to pass, which might mean this Super Bowl is best fans can hope for.
In the new Jeep commercial airing during Super Bowl LIV on Sunday, February 2, Murray is joined by his Groundhog Day co-star, Stephen Tobolowsky as they recreate the film’s famous premise. Only this time, Jeep’s latest vehicle is there to change things up, showing Murray that no day - not even Groundhog Day on repeat - is boring with a Jeep. Murray also kidnaps Punxsutawney Phil. Give it a watch, below.
As Super Bowl commercials go, this one is pretty great. Of course, it’s main purpose is to sell Jeeps, but at just over a minute and with a simple setup, it proves to be a delightful twist on the original film. There’s some true attention to detail as well, with the commercial opening with the same radio announcement as in the film and a spot on recreation of Ned (Tobolowsky) running in to Phil on the street. And to be fair, the groundhog looks to be having a pretty swell time by the end.
Super Bowl LIV is a showdown between American football teams, the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. As it is every year, the game is so much more than just a football game - it’s one of televisions most-watched events and therefor includes numerous commercials costing millions of dollars. The expensive airtime has hosted dozens of memorable ads, many of which spoof famous movies. Just this year there will be another movie parody with Bryan Cranston recreating an iconic scene from The Shining for Mountain Dew. Not to mention, the many upcoming movies who will also be premiering trailers and TV spots during the game. By now, the Super Bowl is just as much a media event as it is a sports one.
More: Watch Every Super Bowl 2020 Movie & TV Trailer
Source: Jeep
