The prolific director and producer behind Ghostbusters, Ivan Reitman, has died. He was 75 years old. Reitman died quietly in his sleep Saturday night at his home in Montecito, Calif., according to his family. Reitman’s big break came with the boisterous undergraduate fraternity sendup National Lampoon’s Animal House, which he produced. He was known for raunchy comedy that captured the mood of his day. He directed Bill Murray in his first leading role in the 1979 comedy Meatballs, and then again in 1981 American war comedy Stripes, but his greatest notable triumph came with 1984′s Ghostbusters.
“Our family is grieving the unexpected loss of a husband, father, and grandfather who taught us to always seek the magic in life,” Reitman’s children Jason Reitman, Catherine Reitman, and Caroline Reitman said in a joint statement to The Associated Press. “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.”
“I had the honor of working so closely with Ivan and it was always such a learning experience,” Paul Feig, the director behind the 2016 reboot of Ghostbusters tweeted his shock. “He directed some of my favorite comedies of all time. All of us in comedy owe him so very much.”
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