Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman dies, aged 75
Reitman's Ghostbusters was among the most successful comedies of its time.
Ivan Reitman – the legendary director and producer behind Ghostbusters – has died at the age of 75.
The filmmaker died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday night (12th February 2022) at his home in Montecito, California, his family told The Associated Press, but a cause of death has not yet been confirmed.
“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, Catherine and Caroline Reitman said in a joint statement.
They continued: “We take comfort that his work as a film-maker 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.”
Best known for comedies, Reitman rose to fame as the producer of National Lampoon’s Animal House.
He later directed Bill Murray in his first starring role in the 1979 comedy film Meatballs and again in 1981’s Stripes.
But Ivan was best known for 1984’s supernatural comedy Ghostbusters, which was a giant hit on its initial release, grossing nearly $300m worldwide and earning two Oscar nominations.
In 2021, a reboot entitled Ghostbusters: Afterlife – directed by Ivan’s filmmaker son Jason – was released and produced by Ivan.
During his career, Ivan also directed a number of other notable films including Twins, Kindergarten Cop, Dave, Junior, Draft Day and Six Days, Seven Nights.
Following the tragic news of his passing, Ernie Hudson, who played Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters series, said: "I am deeply saddened by the loss of Ivan' Reitman. Truly a great man and filmmaker who I had honor and privilege of knowing and working with. Deepest condolences to Jason and the entire family. May he RIP."
Director Judd Apatow paid tribute to Ivan on Twitter: "Opening night of Ghostbusters at UA Plainview was like a rock concert. The place exploded with joy. It was one of the most memorable moments of my childhood. Ivan Reitman influenced everything we all love about film comedy. A true legend."
Comedian Kumail Nanjiani also remembered Reitman, tweeting: “A legend. The number of great movies he made is absurd.”
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Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
