Ivan Reitman, ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Twins’ Director, Dies at 75
It’s a sad day, as we’ve learned about the passing of Ivan Reitman, the original Ghostbusters director and the mind behind many classic comedies.
The news dropped yesterday, February 13, although it’s been confirmed by his family that Reitman died peacefully in his sleep Saturday night at his home. His children, Jason Reitman, Catherine Reitman, and Caroline Reitman said in a joint statement:
“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.”
Tom Rothman, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures, also remembered him:
“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. A great talent and an even finer man; he will be dearly missed. We send his family all our condolences.”
Known for big comedies, Reitman’s big break came with John Landis’ National Lampoon’s Animal House, which he produced. He later directed Bill Murray in his first starring role in Meatballs and then again in Stripes, which led into 1984’s Ghostbusters — it grossed nearly $300 million worldwide, earned two Oscar nominations, and spawned a huge franchise, including spinoffs, TV shows, and a new film, Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), directed by his son, Jason Reitman.
Afterlife was created as a sendoff to the original Ghostbusters characters, who passed the torch to a new generation of heroes, with special attention and weight given to Harold Ramis’ Egon Spengler — Ivan Reitman played the role of old and ghost Egon, as the original actor passed away in 2014. The filmmaker’s death now gives the threequel a special aura of sorts, as it’ll remain a touching farewell to both Harold Ramis and Ivan Reitman, connected through the same character. The fact it was directed by Jason Reitman makes it more emotional and fated to happen, too.
Ivan Reitman will be missed, but his charming contributions to modern cinema live on. May he rest in peace.
Francisco J. Ruiz is that guy who has watched Jurassic Park a thousand times and loves Star Wars. His hunger for movies is only matched by his love for video games. He graduated in English Studies from the University of Malaga, in Spain. As he keeps writing about what he enjoys (and doesn’t) for websites all over, he’s continuing his studies.
