It is a figure of the cinema which dies out. Ivan Reitman, 75, the director of “Ghostbusters” died in his sleep, reports in particular l’agence Associated press. He died on the night of Saturday to Sunday, in his Californian home in Montecito.
“Our family mourns the unexpected loss of a husband, father and grandfather who taught us to always seek the magic in life,” his three children responded in a statement. They add that they hope that those “who discovered him through his films will always remember him”. They say they find “comfort” in the fact that their father has “brought laughter and joy to countless people around the world”.
Ivan Reitman gained worldwide notoriety with “Ghostbusters”, “SOS phantoms” in French, released in 1984. This film grossed nearly $300 million at the time worldwide, or regarding $800 million today (700 million euros). It also earned two Oscar nominations and spawned a franchise that is still in development today.
Among the other films for which he was behind the camera, Ivan Reitman was on the maneuver for “Twins”, “A cop in kindergarten” (where the Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger is on the poster of a comedy for the first times), or even “6 days, 7 nights”. As a producer, he was notably at the helm of “Beethoven”, a comedy featuring a Saint Bernard dog.
Ivan Reitman was born in 1946 in what is now Slovakia, then part of Czechoslovakia. His father owned a large vinegar company, his mother had survived deportation to the Auschwitz extermination camp during World War II (1939-1945). In 1950, the family fled the communist regime and moved to Vienna (Austria). Reitman recounted years later that his parents gave him sleeping pills to keep him quiet while the ride was in the hold of a houseboat.
The torch passed on to his son
The family then headed to Canada. Reitman studied theater and music there before starting to make short films. He then embarked on small film productions and for television before “Animal house” met with success. This allows him to make “Meatballs” where Bill Murray is at the top of the bill before finding himself the main actor, a few years later, of “Ghostbusters”.
In the 1990s, Reitman was considered the greatest comedy director in history. After “6 days, 7 nights” in 1998, he only made four films. His son Jason recently took over the ‘Ghostbusters’ franchise with ‘Ghostbusters: Legacy’, released late last year. He said, “Directing it was very daunting. I had the chance to do it with my father sitting by my side”.
