"Tonight, the lady with the torch weeps, as do all of us at Columbia, and film lovers around the world. Ivan Reitman was an inseparable part of this studio's legacy, but more than that he was a friend. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/saVhBoBgFG
— Ghostbusters (@Ghostbusters) February 14, 2022
Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman has died at the age of 75.
Reitman - who grew up in Canada after his family fled post-war Czechoslovakia - also directed the sequel Ghostbusters II and comedies including Twins and Kindergarten Cop. In addition to directing, he also produced more than 70 films, including the latest instalment of his spook-snaring franchise, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which was directed by his son Jason and released last year.
His family said he died peacefully in his sleep at his California home. In a statement they added: "Our family is grieving the unexpected loss of a husband, father and grandfather who taught us to always seek the magic in life.
"We take comfort that his work as a film-maker brought laughter and happiness to countless others around the world."
Among those paying tribute on social media was Paul Feig, who directed the Ghostbusters reboot in 2016. He wrote: "Sending so much love to the great @JasonReitman for the loss of his amazing father Ivan. Jason and Ivan have always been so supportive of me throughout my career and I’ll never be able to truly repay them both. This is such a sad day."
The official Ghostbusters account tweeted a tribute from Tom Rothman, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group: "Tonight, the lady with the torch weeps, as do all of us at Columbia, and film lovers around the world. Ivan Reitman was an inseparable part of this studio's legacy, but more than that he was a friend. A great talent and an even finer man; he will be dearly missed. We send his family all our condolences."
