Ivan Reitman, the beloved filmmaker and director behind Ghostbusters and Meatballs, has died at the age of 75. His family told the Associated Press that he passed away peacefully in his sleep on Saturday night (12 February), at his home in Montecito, California.
“Our family is grieving the unexpected loss of a husband, father, and grandfather who taught us to always seek the magic in life,” Reitman’s children, Jason, Catherine and Caroline Reitman said in a statement to the Associated Press. “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.”
The director of Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016), Paul Feig, has been paying tribute to Reitman on Twitter: “I’m in absolute shock. I had the honour of working so closely with Ivan and it was always such a learning experience. He directed some of my favourite comedies of all time. All of us in comedy owe him so very much. Thank you for everything, Ivan. Truly,” he wrote. “One of the most special moments to me was after our last test screening of Ghostbusters: ATC after we did some reshoots and our scores went through the roof. Ivan met me out in the lobby and said ‘I’m so happy for you I feel like crying.’ That’s the kind of generous man he was.”
Reitman was born in Czechoslovakia in 1946, before moving to Canada with his family at the age of four. There, he went on to attend McMaster University to study music, but during his time there, produced and directed a number of short films.
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The director was best known for his comedy films, directing the original Ghostbusters movie and its sequel, as well as Meatballs and Stripes. He also served as the producer for National Lampoon’s Animal House and Baywatch.
Our thoughts are with Reitman’s friends and family at this difficult time - may he rest in peace.
Topics: TV And Film