Ghostbusters: Afterlife Director Jason Reitman Pays Tribute to Father Ivan Reitman: "I've Lost My Hero"

By Cameron Bonomolo

Ghostbusters: Afterlife director Jason Reitman pays tribute to his "hero" and father, Ivan Reitman, who died on Saturday at age 75. The elder Reitman, who directed the original Ghostbusters films of the 1980s and produced the legacy sequel Afterlife, died peacefully in his sleep over the weekend at his home in Montecito, California, the filmmaker's family told The Associated Press. In a statement, Reitman's children Jason, Catherine, and Caroline remembered their father as a husband and grandfather who "taught us to always seek the magic in life," saying in a statement, "We take comfort that his work as a filmmaker brought laughter and happiness to countless others around the world." 

In a separate tribute posted to social media on Monday morning, the Afterlife director wrote, "I've lost my hero."

"All I want is the chance to tell my father one more story," added Reitman, who shared a childhood photo of himself and his father. "He came from a family of survivors and turned his legacy into laughter. Thank you for the kind messages. Enjoy his movies and remember his storytelling gifts. Nothing would make him happier." 

The Czechoslovakia-born filmmaker was an active producer and worked closely with his son on the set of Afterlife, a direct sequel to 1984's Ghostbusters and 1989 sequel Ghostbusters II. The film, which the Reitmans dedicated to late Ghostbusters co-writer and star Harold Ramis, passes the torch to a new generation of Ghostbusters and features original cast members Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Bill Murray in guest-starring roles.

In 2019, the Juno and Thank You For Smoking filmmaker described the long-awaited sequel to Ivan's films as a love letter to the original Ghostbusters and his father. 

"You're the greatest storyteller I know, and I'm the luckiest son on Earth," Jason told his father during the 35th-anniversary celebration of the original Ghostbusters at Ghostbusters Fan Fest 2019. "I feel so intimidated to make this film, but I'm making it for all of you [fans]. But most of all, I'm making it for you [Ivan], and I love you."

Reitman also directed such seminal comedies as Bill Murray's Meatballs and Stripes, Arnold Schwarzenegger's Twins and Kindergarten Cop, and more recently, the sci-fi comedy Evolution and the 2014 sports drama Draft Day. As a producer, Reitman's credits include Animal House, Space Jam, Private Parts, Old School, and Up in the Air, directed by Jason Reitman. 

Photo credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images

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