Ivan Reitman

Ivan Reitman, OC (born October 27, 1946) is a Czechoslovak-Canadian film and television director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his comedy work, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. He is the owner of The Montecito Picture Company, founded in 1998.

Ivan Reitman
OC
Reitman in March 2011
Born (1946-10-27) October 27, 1946
Komárno, Czechoslovakia
NationalityCanadian
Alma materMcMaster University
OccupationFilm and television director, film and television producer, screenwriter
Years active1968–present
Spouse(s)
Geneviève Robert (m. 1976)
Children3, including Jason and Catherine

Notable films he has directed include Meatballs (1979), Stripes (1981), Ghostbusters (1984), Ghostbusters II (1989), Twins (1988), Kindergarten Cop (1990), Dave (1993) and Junior (1994). Reitman has also served as producer for such films as Animal House (1978), Beethoven (1992), Space Jam (1996), Private Parts (1997).

Early life

Reitman was born in Komárno, Czechoslovakia, on October 27, 1946, the son of Klara and Ladislav "Leslie" Reitman. His parents were Jewish; his mother survived the Auschwitz concentration camp and his father was an underground resistance fighter.[1][2][3] His family came to Canada as refugees in 1950. Reitman attended Oakwood Collegiate in Toronto and was a member of the Twintone Four singing group.

Reitman attended McMaster University,[4] receiving a Bachelor of Music in 1969. At McMaster he produced and directed many short films.[5]

Career

Reitman's first producing job was with the then-new station CITY-TV in Toronto. CITY was also the home of the first announcing job of his later friend and collaborator Dan Aykroyd. However, Reitman's tenure at CITY was short and he was fired during his first year by station owner Moses Znaimer.

In Toronto, he produced the stage production Spellbound (1973) which evolved into Broadway production The Magic Show.

Reitman's first commercial film ventures were as producer of two films for director David Cronenberg, Shivers (1975) and Rabid (1977). His big break came when he produced National Lampoon's Animal House in 1978 and directed Meatballs in 1979. From there, he directed and produced a number of comedies including Stripes (1981), Ghostbusters (1984),[6] Legal Eagles (1986), Twins (1988), Ghostbusters II (1989),[7] Kindergarten Cop (1990), Dave (1993), Junior (1994), Six Days, Seven Nights (1998), Evolution (2001), My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006), and No Strings Attached (2011).

In the early 1990s, Reitman began to direct fewer films, but increased his role as a producer and executive producer through his company, Northern Lights Entertainment.[8] He helped to produce the animated film Heavy Metal (1981), as well as the live-action films Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983), Beethoven (1992), Beethoven's 2nd (1993), Space Jam (1996), Howard Stern's film Private Parts (1997), Road Trip (2000), Old School (2003), EuroTrip (2004) and Trailer Park Boys: The Movie (2006).

In 2007, Reitman was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.[9] Reitman founded The Montecito Picture Company, a film production company located just south of Santa Barbara, founded in 2000.

He next produced the comedy I Love You, Man (2009), starring Paul Rudd and Jason Segel. Also in 2009, he produced the Academy Award-nominated film, Up in the Air, directed by his son Jason Reitman. Later, Reitman had planned to direct the erotic thriller Chloe (2009), but he couldn't attract the cast he wanted; so Reitman decided to only serve as a producer and asked Atom Egoyan to direct the film.[10] Chloe has since enjoyed commercial success and became Egoyan's biggest moneymaker ever.[11]

Reitman co-produced the biographical film Hitchcock, released on November 23, 2012. Reitman also directed the 2014 sports drama Draft Day, starring Kevin Costner.

Unmade and upcoming projects

In the early 1980s, Tom Mankiewicz wrote a script for a film entitled The Batman, with Reitman attached to direct. He planned to cast Meatballs star Bill Murray as Batman, David Niven as Alfred Pennyworth, William Holden as Commissioner James Gordon, and singer David Bowie as The Joker.[12] However, due to Holden's and Niven's death and the rewrites of the script, Reitman left the project and Gremlins director Joe Dante entered in the project, but the film never materialized.

In April 1996, it was reported that Reitman was attached to produce, and possibly direct, a Wonder Woman film.[13] However, three years later, he passed the project on to writer Jon Cohen and left for unknown reasons.

In March 2007, New York magazine, citing no sources, stated that Sony Pictures Entertainment wanted to replace Reitman on Ghostbusters III with a younger director, but that Reitman's original contract precluded this.[14] In early 2010, it appeared as if Reitman would direct the film,[15] but in September 2014, after Harold Ramis' death, Paul Feig was officially set to direct a new film, which was released in 2016 as a reboot of the franchise.[16][17] In mid-January 2019, news of Ghostbusters: Afterlife came through with Ivan's son Jason taking over as co-writer and director. According to Ernie Hudson, "Ivan Reitman is there and everybody is in" and that Dan Aykroyd was the one who helped do story treatment with Sony.[18]

In March 2012, it was reported that a sequel of Twins, entitled Triplets, was in the works, and that Reitman will co-produce the film.[19][20] A release date wasn't given since the announcement.

In 2013, it was revealed that Reitman had plans to make a sequel to Evolution,[21] but plans for a sequel never materialized.

In May 2016, Reitman revealed that he was in talks with Warner Bros. chairman Bob Daly about his possible involvement in Space Jam: A New Legacy, the sequel of Space Jam.[22] A month later, it was reported that Reitman will produce the upcoming animated series Ghostbusters: Ecto Force.[23] Reitman will also produce and co-direct an animated Ghostbusters film alongside Fletcher Moules.[24]

Personal life

Reitman has been married to Geneviève Robert since 1976. Reitman has a son and two daughters. His son, Jason Reitman, is a film director best known for his films Juno, Thank You for Smoking, and Up in the Air, for which he won a Golden Globe for his screenplay. His daughter Catherine Reitman is the creator, executive producer, writer and star of the CBC comedy series Workin' Moms. His other daughter, Caroline Reitman, attended Santa Barbara City College. Reitman's wife is a convert to Judaism.[25]

In 2009, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada "for his contributions as a director and producer, and for his promotion of the Canadian film and television industries".[26]

In April 2011 he received the Mayor's Prize at his native city of Komárno, Slovakia.[27]

Recurring cast members
Actor Meatballs
(1979)		 Stripes
(1981)		 Ghostbusters
(1984)		 Legal Eagles
(1986)		 Twins
(1988)		 Ghostbusters II
(1989)		 Kindergarten Cop
(1990)		 Dave
(1993)		 Junior
(1994)		 Evolution
(2001)		 No Strings Attached
(2011)		 Draft Day
(2014)
Dan Aykroyd NNN
Danny DeVito NN
Brian Doyle-Murray NN
Kevin Dunn NNN
Ernie Hudson NN
Kevin Kline NN
Frank Langella NNN
David Margulies NN
Rick Moranis NN
Bill Murray NNNN
Annie Potts NN
Harold Ramis NNN
Pamela Reed NN
Arnold Schwarzenegger NNN1N
Sigourney Weaver NNN

1 Schwarzenegger's appearance is a cameo as himself when he was chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

Filmography
Year Film Director Producer Writer Notes
1968 Orientation Yes Yes Yes Short film; also editor, cinematographer and composer
1971 Foxy Lady Yes Yes No Directorial debut; also editor and composer
1973 Cannibal Girls Yes Executive Story Story co-written with Robert Sandler and Daniel Goldberg
1979 Meatballs Yes No No Golden Reel Award
1981 Stripes Yes Yes No
1984 Ghostbusters Yes Yes No Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film; voice roles: "Zuul / Slimer"
Ray Parker Jr. - '"Ghostbusters" Yes No No Music video
1986 Legal Eagles Yes Yes Story Story co-written with Jim Cash and Jack Epps, Jr.
1988 Twins Yes Yes No
1989 Ghostbusters II Yes Yes No Voice roles: "Man Walking Outside Firehouse / Slimer"
1990 Kindergarten Cop Yes Yes No
1993 Dave Yes Yes No
1994 Junior Yes Yes No
1997 Fathers' Day Yes Yes No
Metropolitan Hospital No Executive Creator Unsold TV pilot, co-created with director Brian Levant
1998 Six Days, Seven Nights Yes Yes No
2001 Evolution Yes Yes No
2004 Cooking Lessons Yes No No TV movie
2006 My Super Ex-Girlfriend Yes No No
2011 No Strings Attached Yes Yes No Cameo: "Secret High director"
2014 Draft Day Yes Yes No
TBA Triplets Yes Yes No Pre-production
Summer of Love Yes Yes Story
Untitled animated Ghostbusters film Yes Yes TBA Co-directed with Fletcher Moules

Producer only

Year Film Notes
1969 The Columbus of Sex Also cinematographer
1975 Shivers Also music supervisor
1976 Death Weekend
1977 Ilsa, the Tigress of Siberia As "Julian Parnell"
1978 Animal House
1981 Heavy Metal
1992 Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot
1996 Space Jam
1997 Private Parts
2006 That Guy TV movie
2008 Atom TV TV series, 5 episodes (segments "Border Patrol")
2009 Post Grad
Up in the Air Nominated—Academy Award for Best Picture
Chloe
2012 Hitchcock
2016 Ghostbusters
2017 Baywatch
Father Figures
2021 Ghostbusters: Afterlife Post-production

Executive producer only

Year Film Notes
1977 Rabid Also music supervisor
1978 Blackout
1979 Delta House TV series, 13 episodes
1983 The Magic Show
Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone
1987 Big Shots
1988 Casual Sex?
Feds
1992 Beethoven
1993 Beethoven's 2nd
1994 Beethoven TV series, 13 episodes
1996 The Late Shift TV movie
1997 Commandments
Mummies Alive! TV series, 42 episodes
1999 The First Gentleman TV movie
2000 Road Trip
2001-02 Alienators: Evolution Continues TV series, 13 episodes
2002 Killing Me Softly
2003 Old School
2004 EuroTrip
2006 Trailer Park Boys: The Movie
That Guy TV movie
2007 Disturbia
2009 Hotel for Dogs
The Uninvited
I Love You, Man
Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day

References
  1. "Director Shows His 'Stripes'".
  2. "Ivan Reitman Biography (1946-)". www.filmreference.com.
  3. Bloom, Nate (January 21, 2011). "Jewish Stars 1/21". Cleveland Jewish News.
  4. "McMaster University Alumni". Retrieved 2007-01-10.
  5. "McMaster University Alumni Community".
  6. "Ghostbusters 3 Director Confirmed!".
  7. "Ivan Reitman Verbally Confirms He'll Direct 'Ghostbusters 3'".
  8. Britton, Bonnie. "Director of 'Junior' has delivered plenty of hits." The Indianapolis Star (November 25, 1994).
  9. "Canada's Walk of Fame: Ivan Reitman". canadaswalkoffame.com. Archived from the original on 2006-10-30.
  10. Warner, Andrea (March 24, 2010). "Atom Egoyan lets 'Chloe' put words in his mouth". thewriterlylife.blogspot.hk.
  11. Pevere, Geoff (December 7, 2010). "The Digital Revolution: Part 1". The Star.
  12. "10 Batman films that almost happened". 5 July 2013.
  13. "Comic movies".
  14. Brodesser-Akner, Claude. "Vulture Exclusive: Columbia Wants a Younger Director for Ghostbusters III, But Ivan Reitman's Contract Says Otherwise", New York, March 17, 2010.
  15. Rosenberg, Adam (January 13, 2010). "EXCLUSIVE: 'Ghostbusters 3' Script Is In, Ivan Reitman Confirms He WILL Direct". MTV. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010.
  16. Kit, Borys (August 2, 2014). "'Ghostbusters 3' Targets Paul Feig as Director". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
  17. Squires, John (March 10, 2015). "Latest on New Ghostbusters Movie Universe; Chris Pratt in the Mix? Four Films?!". Dread Central.
  18. https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/01/ernie-hudson-ghostbusters-3/
  19. "'Twins' Sequel 'Triplets' in the Works for Arnold, DeVito...and Eddie Murphy (Exclusive)".
  20. Red Carpet News TV (22 January 2013). "Arnold Schwarzenegger Confirms Terminator 5, Conan and Twins Sequels" – via YouTube.
  21. "Are there any plans to make a sequel to the film Evolution (2001)". Movies & TV Stack Exchange.
  22. "Original 'Space Jam' Director Warns Against Doing a Sequel: "Don't Do It. It's Doomed"".
  23. "Original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman to produce futuristic Ghostbusters cartoon". 21 June 2016.
  24. Takao (August 7, 2017). "Ghostbusters: Ecto Force postponed for new film". ToonBarn. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  25. ""He and his French-Canadian wife, who converted to Judaism, are bringing up their children in the same tradition."".
  26. "Governor General Announces 57 New Appointments to the Order of Canada". Office of the Secretary to the Governor General. December 30, 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
  27. "Primátor ocenil osobnosti mesta Komárno". komarno.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 2020-01-23.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.