Producer-director Ivan Reitman, whose wildly successful comedies of the ‘70s and ‘80s included the blockbuster Ghostbusters, died in his sleep on February 12 in Montecito, Calif., his family confirmed. He was 75. The cause of death was not released.
His children, director Jason Reitman, Catherine Reitman and Caroline Reitman in a joint statement said, according to Associated Press, “Our family is grieving the unexpected loss of a husband, father, and grandfather who taught us to always seek the magic in life. We take comfort that his work as a filmmaker brought laughter and happiness to countless others around the world. While we mourn privately, we hope those who knew him through his films will remember him always.”
Born in Czechoslovakia and raised in Canada, Reitman made his first major impression as the producer of National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978). He quickly segued into feature directing with movie stardom Meatballs (1979), which featured Bill Murray as an anarchic camp counselor, and the service comedy Stripes (1981). Co-written by Aykroyd and Ramis, who co-starred with Murray, Moranis and Sigourney Weaver, Ghostbusters was the perfect mating of wiseguy humor and creative, big-budget special effects. It was among the most successful comedies of its time; it spawned a franchise that included a hit 1989 sequel and two new-millennium installments.
He maintained his producing/directing profile with a series of comedies Twins (1988), Kindergarten Cop (1990) and Junior (1994). He also produced the family-friendly Beethoven comedies and directed presidential comedy Dave. Reitman’s more recent directorial efforts included his last feature, Draft Day with Kevin Costner, rom-com No Strings Attached and My Super Ex-Girlfriend. In 2009, he co-produced Up in the Air, a comedy-drama starring George Clooney as a peripatetic corporate downsizing specialist. Directed and co-written by his son Jason, the film garnered six Academy Award nods, including best picture.
Most recently, he co-directed an iPhone Christmas spot with his son Jason, their first directing collaboration. Reitman is survived by his wife Genevieve; his son Jason, a director; and daughters Catherine, a TV actress-writer-producer, and Caroline.
Also Read: Ghostbusters: Afterlife starring Paul Rudd to release on November 19, 2021
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