Producer-director Ivan Reitman, whose 70s and 80s comedies, including the blockbuster Ghostbusters, were wildly successful, has died in his sleep at the age of 75. It is reported by the Associated Press.

Reitman died on February 12. The cause of death was not disclosed.

“Our family mourns the unexpected loss of a husband, father and grandfather who taught us to always look for the magic in life. We take comfort in the fact that his work as a director has brought laughter and happiness to countless people around the world,” his family said in a joint statement.

Reitman was born in 1946 in Czechoslovakia. During the war, his mother was in the Auschwitz concentration camp. In 1950, the Reitman family emigrated to Canada.

The first short film, Orientation, was made in 1968, and three years later, his debut feature film, The Red Lady, was released. He quickly settled in - his first two hits, "Meatballs" (1979) and "Stripes" (1980), introduced the world to Bill Murray. In the mid-1980s, Reitman produced and directed Ghostbusters, which grossed an estimated $229 million domestically and became one of the most successful comedies of its time, spawning a franchise.

Reitman has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

bbabo.Net