The Devastating Death Of Ghostbusters Director Ivan Reitman

The world of cinema has lost an icon of Hollywood with the sudden death of "Ghostbusters" director Ivan Reitman. According to the Associated Press, Reitman died at the age of 75 at his home on Saturday night in Montecito, California. In a joint statement announcing the famed director's passing, his family remembered Reitman for the intimately personal role he played in their lives, in addition to his numerous contributions to the field of film.

"Our family is grieving the unexpected loss of a husband, father, and grandfather who taught us to always seek the magic in life," the Reitman family said in a statement. "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."

In addition to 1984's "Ghostbusters" and its 1989 sequel, Reitman's directorial contributions in Hollywood include a plethora of other hits. 

Ivan Reitman was born in Komárno, Czechoslovakia on October 27, 1946. Reitman and his family departed the country of his birth in 1950 and settled in Canada, where he earned a bachelor's degree in music before entering the world of film production (via Film Reference). According to IMDb, Reitman's directorial debut came in the form of a 1968 short film titled "Orientation." Reitman followed this up only a few years later with two longer feature films titled "Foxy Lady" and "Cannibal Girls." 

However, the auteur's big break didn't come until he earned a producer's credit on 1978's "National Lampoon's Animal House." Following this success, Reitman also stepped into the director's chair for 1979's "Meatballs," a film which ultimately launched actor Bill Murray into stardom and gave Reitman the spotlight as a successful director. Reitman followed this up with 1981's "Stripes" and 1984's "Ghostbusters," both films also starring Murray. Additional notable films by the late director include: 1986's "Legal Eagles," 1988's "Twins," 1990's "Kindergarten Cop," and 2014's "Draft Day," among a variety of other films (via IMDb).

Reitman is survived by his wife, Geneviève, and three children: Jason Reitman, Catherine Reitman, and Caroline Reitman. Notably, Reitman recently played the uncredited role of a motion capture actor in "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," a film directed by his son, Jason.