Ernie Hudson, Afterlife’s Carrie Coon and More Pay Tribute After Ghostbusters’ Ivan Reitman Dies At 75

Yesterday, the world lost another great talent in writer/director/producer Ivan Reitman who passed away at the age of 75. Reitman was best known for directing the first two Ghostbusters movies, and producing the more recent entries of the franchise. But Reitman has been a huge part of Hollywood for decades, and so a lot of people are remembering Reitman, not just those from inside the Ghostbusters franchise.

Ernie Hudson, who appeared in all the Ghostbusters movies, responded to the news that Ivan Reitman had passed away by sending his condolences to the family of the lost man, including his son, writer/director Jason Reitman, who recently worked with his father on Ghostbusters: Afterlife.  

Fellow Ghostbuster Dan Aykroyd also made a statement to Deadline where he said he was heartbroken at the death of Reitman and you can feel that in the statement.

Ivan Reitman produced the most recent Ghostbusters film, which was directed by his son Jason. A couple of the key cast members who joined the Ghostbusters franchise with the newest movie also shared their thoughts. Carrie Coon, who played the daughter of Harold Ramis’ iconic Ghostbusters character  said it was an “honor” to work with Reitman and to become part of the film series loved by so many.

While Carrie Coon had some powerful things to say about Ivan Reitman, co-star Mckenna Grace had none. She simply posted a picture of herself and Reitman working together on the set of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and added a heart. No words were needed here. 

Love also came to Jason Reitman from Paul Feig, director of the Ghostbusters spinoff project Answer the Call. While that particular film in the franchise has always struggled, Reitman was apparently always supportive of it and those that made it.  

While Ivan Reitman’s name will be synonymous with Ghostbusters forever, he made many more memorable movies. He directed Meatballs, Stripes, Dave, Kindergarten Cop and Twins. He also had a profound impact on the careers of many other filmmakers. Joker director Todd Philips wrote a lengthy Instagram post about the influence that Reitman had on his career. Ivan Reitman produced Philips' earliest features, but also did a lot more… 

Phil Lord posted to Twitter on Ivan Reitman’s passing with similar comments, talking about how supportive he was of his work with co-director Christopher Miller. he was supportive, but he always tried to help them be better. Lord said…

Ivan Reitman clearly made a mark in Hollywood that will be remembered forever. He made great movies that will stand the test of time but he also inspired a generation of filmmakers that have already gone on to make their own mark. He will not soon be forgotten.