Ivan Reitman
Photo: Getty Images for Sony Pictures, Theo Wargo. All rights reserved.
Canadian screenwriter and director Ivan Reitman has died at the age of 75. His family confirmed the filmmaker’s death to the Associated Press. Accordingly, he died on Saturday (February 12th). A cause of death was not announced.
“Our family mourns the unexpected loss of a husband, father and grandfather who taught us to always seek magic in life,” Reitman’s children Jason, Catherine and Caroline said in an official statement. “We take comfort in the fact that his work as a filmmaker has brought laughter and joy to countless people around the world. As we mourn in silence, we hope those who knew him through his films will always remember him.”
Ivan Reitman: Review of his career
Reitman made a name for himself in the industry in the 1970s with the first unconventional films: the cult film “Baby Fat and Meatballs” (English title: “Meatballs”) was released in 1979 – for the film he cast the then SNL star Bill Murray, who with other Reitman films such as “I think a moose is kissing me!” and “Ghostbusters” celebrated his acting breakthrough.
“When I work with comedians, I treat them as writers and artists,” the director told ROLLING STONE in 2016. “I’m always looking for a way to bring the scene fresh, dramatic or comedic to the point, so I encourage them to just improvise. And then I edit a lot from take to take and say: That was great, keep that, but go back to the script for this moment. I think that fits better.” With “Twins” and “Der Kindergarten-Cop”, some of the most successful comedies of the eighties and nineties were created – but also family blockbusters like “A Dog Named Beethoven”.
The 2016 Ghostbusters reboot was directed by Paul Feig, and 2021’s Ghostbusters: Legacy was directed by his son Jason Reitman. However, Ivan Reitman worked as a producer for both sequels to the ghostbuster comedy. “I’m in shock,” Feig tweeted about the filmmaker’s death. “I’ve had the honor of working so closely with Ivan and it’s always been a very educational experience. He has directed some of my favorite comedies of all time. All of us in comedy owe him so much.”