Ghostbusters Franchise Stars Share Their Love of Late Ivan Reitman

On Sunday, the entertainment world learned that celebrated filmmaker Ivan Reitman, perhaps best known to many for his work on the Ghostbusters franchise, had died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday night at the age of 75. News of Reitman’s passing, confirmed by his family in a statement Sunday evening, prompted an outpouring of tributes and mourning from fans and celebrities alike, including stars of the Ghostbusters franchise. 

“Feeling heartbreak today for Geneviève, Catherine, Caroline, Jason and family. The loss of my friend, collaborator, champion and one of the last great creative talents of the BIG SCREEN ERA crumples me, Dan Aykroyd said in a statement (via Deadline). “Now on Thursdays who am I gonna call?”

Aykroyd played the role of Dr. Raymond Stantz in Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and also wrote the first two Ghostbusters films with the late Harold Ramis.  Aykroyd was joined by fellow Ghostbusters star Ernie Hudson in expressing his sadness at Reitman’s passing. Hudson took to Instagram to share his tribute, calling the filmmaker “truly a great man.”

“I am deeply saddened by the loss of Ivan Reitman,” Hudson wrote. “Truly a great man and filmmaker who I had honor and privilege of knowing and working with. Deepest condolences to Jason and the entire family. May he RIP.”

Those involved with more recent entries in the overall Ghostbusters world also took the time to honor Reitman. Paul Feig, who helmed the 2016 Ghostbusters remake and Carrie Coon, who starred in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, both shared the “honor” of working with Reitman.

“I’m in absolute shock,” Feig wrote. “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.”

“Working with Ivan was an honor and a pleasure and I’m so grateful that I was invited into the universe he helped to build, one that continues to resonate with fans the world over,” Coon wrote.

McKenna Grace, who starred in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, posted a simple, but heartfelt tribute to Reitman on her Instagram: a set photo of herself with Reitman, captioned with a simple heart emoji.

In addition to his work in the Ghostbusters franchise, Reitman also directed films such as Meatballs, Stripes, Twins, Kindergarten Cop, Dave, Evolution and more. Reitman largely retired from directing in 2014 following the Kevin Costner-starring Draft Day and served as a producer on Ghostbusters: Afterlife while his son, Jason, took over the director’s chair.

“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, Catherine and Caroline said in a joint statement on Sunday. “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.”

Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Sony Pictures