Celebrity Biographies
Ivan Reitmann
He was best known for “Ghostbusters”, although he had success with other titles, such as “Dave, President for a Day” or “The Nutty Squad”. The filmmaker Ivan Reitman passed away on February 12, 2022, at the age of 75, while he slept at his residence in Montecito (California). “Our family mourns the unexpected loss of a husband, father and grandfather who taught us to always look for the magic in life. We are heartened to know that his work as a filmmaker brought laughter and happiness to countless people around the world. Even though we are in mourning privately, we hope that those who knew him through his films will always remember him”, explained a joint statement, signed by his children, Catherine, Caroline and also director Ivan Reitman.
Born on October 27, 1946, in Komárno, Czechoslovakia, now Slovakia, Ivan Reitman came from a family of Hungarian Jews (his mother survived the Auschwitz concentration camp). When he was four years old, his family immigrated to Canada. He graduated in Music from McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario, where he began directing shorts. After some adventure in the field of radio and theater, he began as a producer of two David Cronenberg films , They Came From Within… and Rage .
He debuted as a director with Foxy Lady , and later produced Desmadre à la americana , which had an enormous impact. Ivan Reitman began his collaboration with Bill Murray with The Incorrigible Meatballs , followed by The Nutty Squad and The Ghostbusters , the biggest hit of his career, which today has become an eighties classic. He himself was in charge of a watered-down second part, Ghostbusters II , and the film also gave rise to the female version, Ghostbusters , and a tribute directed by his son, Ghostbusters, Beyond, where he worked as a producer and co-writer. “I started crying as soon as Jason told me the story,” he said in an interview on Screen Rant . The first time he explained to me that he thought he had an idea for Ghostbusters that he was considering doing, he told me the story and I could feel the emotion of it and how it was such a right idea to continue this story that he was lucky enough to direct. in 84.
In addition, Ivan Reitman swept by retraining stuntman Arnold Schwarzenegger for comedy in The Twins Strike Twice , Junior and Kindergarten Cop . Also, he made it big with Dave, President for a Day and Six Days and Seven Nights . With the arrival of the 21st century, his career languishes, with less massive titles, such as Evolution or My super ex-girlfriend . Final decision , from 2014, marks the last work of his signed as a director, which he did not withdraw from him, since he was trying to carry out various projects until his death, such as Triplets , sequel to The twins strike twice .
As a producer, Ivan Reitman helmed Beethoven , which spawned a franchise, and Up in the Air , directed by his offspring, for which he earned his only Oscar nomination, in the best picture category.