Reitman was born in Czechoslovakia on October 27, 1946. His family moved to Canada when he was four years old. He took an interest in film when he attended McMaster University as a music student, where he directed several short films. Reitman began his career in the film industry as a producer for David Cronenberg, producing “Shivers” and “Rabid” for the horror director. He went on to direct the hit summer camp comedy “Meatballs” in 1979, launching a fruitful creative partnership with Bill Murray. He went on to direct Murray in 1981’s “Stripes,” and both “Ghostbusters” and “Ghostbusters II.” In the 1990s, Reitman found an unexpected comedic muse in Arnold Schwarzenegger when he cast the action star in the comedy “Twins.” The film was a massive box office success, prompting Schwarzenegger and Reitman to reunite for “Kindergarten Cop” and “Junior.”
In addition to his directing career, Reitman produced a slew of successful comedies, including “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” “Space Jam,” and “Up in the Air,” which was written and directed by his son, Jason Reitman. Reitman is survived by his wife Geneviève Robert and three children, Jason, Caroline, and Catherine Reitman. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
