Ivan Reitman, the Canadian writer-director who brought gross-out, slobs-versus-snobs comedy to the mainstream with hit movies like Meatballs and Stripes, pioneered the 1980s blockbuster with Ghostbusters and helped Bill Murray transition from SNL veteran to movie star, died Saturday at the age of 75. Reitman’s family confirmed the filmmaker’s death to the Associated Press. A cause of death was not immediately available.
“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 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.”
A Czechslovakian immigrant raised in…
