‘Ghostbusters’ producer and director Ivan Reitman dies at 75
(Ivan Reitman. Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Ivan Reitman, who produced and directed some of Hollywood’s blockbuster comedies, died Feb. 12 at his home in Montecito, Calif. He was 75.
Reitman was a major creative force behind some of the classic comedies of the 1980s and ’90s, including “Stripes” (1981), with “Saturday Night Live” alum Bill Murray; and “Ghostbusters” (1984) and “Ghostbusters II” (1989), which featured “SNL” alumni Murray and Dan Aykroyd.
Reitman worked with some of the industry’s biggest names, including action star and the future governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger three times: “Twins” (1988) and “Junior” (1994), both of which co-starred Danny De Vito; and “Kindergarten Cop” (1990). He produced “Dave” (1993), which starred Oscar-winner Kevin Kline. He co-wrote, directed and co-produced “Legal Eagles” (1986), with Robert Redford and Debra Winger. He directed and co-produced “Six Days, Seven Nights” (1998) with Harrison Ford and Anne Heche.
The popular “Ghostbusters” franchise spawned the sequel “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” (2021), directed by his son, Jason Reitman.
“Our family is grieving the unexpected loss of a husband, father, and grandfather who taught us to always seek the magic in life,” his children Jason Reitman, Catherine Reitman and Caroline Reitman said in a joint statement posted on Entertainment Weekly’s website. “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.”
Reitman was born on Oct. 27, 1946, in Komarno, Czechoslovakia (now Slovak Republic). His mother survived Auschwitz and his father was an underground resistance fighter. His family immigrated to Canada when Reitman was 4.
He attended high school in Toronto and earned a bachelor’s degree in music from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, where he produced and directed short films.
Early in his career, Reitman produced two movies directed by horror master David Cronenberg: “Shivers” (1975) and “Rabid” (1977). Then Reitman broke out with “National Lampoon’s Animal House” (1978), an irreverent comedy about a fraternity house of misfits that starred “SNL” veteran John Belushi. Shot on a budget of $3 million, it made more than $140 million, becoming the highest-grossing comedy at that time.
He executive produced the hit “Beethoven” (1992), a family film about a beloved St. Bernard, and its sequel, “Beethoven’s 2nd” as well as the 1994 TV series based on the movies.
Reitman produced “Space Jam” (1996), featuring NBA legend Michael Jordan, who teams up with Bugs Bunny on the court, as well as the 2021 version starring LeBron James.
Reitman helped produce Oscar-nominated “Up in the Air” (2009), which was co-written and directed by Jason Reitman and starred George Clooney and Anna Kendrick.
In 2015, the Library of Congress selected “Ghostbusters” for preservation in the National Film Registry. “Animal House” was chosen for that honor in 2001.
Reitman owned the Montecito Picture company, founded in 1998.
CNN.com reported: “Tonight, the lady with the torch weeps, as do all of us at Columbia, and film lovers around the world. Ivan Reitman was an inseparable part of this studio’s legacy, but more than that he was a friend,” Tom Rothman, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, was quoted as saying in a tweet from the official “Ghostbusters” Twitter account: “A great talent and an even finer man; he will be dearly missed. We send his family all our condolences.”