Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman’s life revolved around the laughter in the cinema

But the movie was more than just a movie. That logo alone: ​​the ghost in a prohibition sign. And that Ray Parker Jr. hit. naturally, Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! The special effects were revolutionary for the time. The moviegoer rewarded so much creativity; the cash register yield in the opening year was about 300 million dollars (with inflation now more than 700 million euros). The toy industry also appreciated the ghost hunters, children later played with Ghostbusters-lego and Ghostbusters-Playmobil.

The script for the film was written by Reitman’s childhood friend: de Saturday Night Liveactor Dan Aykroyd. But that was about ghost hunters in space and would be way too expensive for the studio, which didn’t have much faith in the combination of comedy and science fiction. Fellow filmmaker Harold Ramis wrote a new version of the script, before joining the cast like Aykroyd.

The story was moved to New York, which turned out to be a masterstroke. The then rugged city was the ideal backdrop for the film about four fidgeting parapsychologists who successfully start their own business. Some street scenes were also shot without all the permits, with real passers-by marveling at the ghost hunting suits.

twins† Kindergarten Cop and Junior

Reitman also directed the second part of Ghostbusters, which was less well received, but was equally successful at the box office. He then teamed up with Arnold Schwarzenegger, who turned Reitman into a comedic actor in films such as twins (1988), with ‘twin brother’ Danny DeVito, Kindergarten Cop (1990) and surrogate father in Junior (1994).

Ivan Reitman was born shortly after the war, in the Czechoslovakian town of Komárno, in present-day Slovakia. Both his parents came from Hungarian Jewish families: his mother survived Auschwitz, his father was part of the underground resistance.

In the 1950s, when Ivan was 4 years old, the family emigrated to Canada, where Father Reitman built a successful entrepreneurial life with a dry cleaning chain. His son gained experience as a producer for a Toronto television channel, where he met Dan Aykroyd.

He produced two early films by renowned Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg, Shivers (1975) and Rabid (1977), but really broke through as a producer with the rash and catchy student comedy National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978), with the young John Belushi. Not directing that film himself was something he would regret for the rest of his life.

Reitman’s existence as a director started a year later with the summer camp comedy meatballs (1979), with Bill Murray as camp director. Murray (also Ghostbuster) remained a fixture, also appearing as a reluctant recruit in the U.S. Army in the Reitman-directed Stripes (1981).

Reitman would continue to produce throughout his career and had hits like Beethoven and Space Jam, but his heart was in directing. “The worst day as a director is still preferable to the best day as a producer,” he once said.

Reitman long cherished the wish to add another third Ghostbusters to direct, but — much to his delight — eventually saw that task fulfilled by his directing son Jason. Father Ivan was still producer of the last year released Ghostbusters – Afterlifehis last movie.