Confirming the sad news, his family says the 'Kindergarten Cop' helmer and producer died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday night, February 12 at his home in Montecito, California.
- Feb 14, 2022
AceShowbiz - Hollywood is in mourning following the loss of Ivan Reitman. The filmmaker, best known for his comedy work, including "Ghostbusters" (1984), "Ghostbusters II" (1989), "Twins" (1988), "Kindergarten Cop" (1990), "Dave" (1993) and "Junior" (1994), has passed away.
Confirming the sad news on Sunday, Febryary 13, his family told The Associated Press that the director died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday night at his home in Montecito, California. "Our family is grieving the unexpected loss of a husband, father, and grandfather who taught us to always seek the magic in life," children Jason Reitman, Catherine Reitman and Caroline Reitman said in a joint statement.
They added, "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."
The cause of death is not immediately given. Reitman was 75 years old.
The news of his passing has quickly garnered tribute from fellow filmmakers and actors alike. One in particular was Paul Feig, who directed 2016's "Ghostbusters", an all-female reboot of Reitman's movie. "I'm in absolute shock," he posted on Twitter. "I had the honor of working so closely with Ivan and it was always such a learning experience. He directed some of my favorite comedies of all time. All of us in comedy owe him so very much. Thank you for everything, Ivan. Truly."
Actor Kumail Nanjiani tweeted, "A legend. The number of great movies he made is absurd. RIP." "Cobra Kai" co-creator Jon Hurwitz listed Reitman's works, "Animal House, Meatballs, Stripes, Ghostbusters, Twins, Kindergarten Cop, Beethoven, Dave, Space Jam, Private Parts, Road Trip, Old School," before singing praise for the movie legend, "What a legacy of classics. Ivan Reitman was always kind and supportive when our paths crossed. My deepest condolences to his family. #RIP."
Actress and director Rosanna Arquette simply wrote, "Rest In Peace Ivan Reitman." MTV News correspondent Josh Horowitz, added, "RIP to the great Ivan Reitman. What more can be said about GHOSTBUSTERS? Pure glorious entertainment. DAVE is a masterpiece I absolutely adore. So many gifts to my generation of film lovers and makers. Condolences to his family."
