Ivan Reitman, a celebrated producer and director behind some of Hollywood’s biggest comedies, has died. He was 75. Reitman died peacefully in his sleep Saturday night at his home in Montecito, California, his family told The Associated Press. Reitman was behind some of the 80s and 90s most enduring comedic films, including 1984’s “Ghostbusters,” which he produced and directed.

The movie was a major success and started a franchise that spanned decades, including last year’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” directed by his son, Jason Reitman. Reitman directed other classics like “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” starring John Belushi, and “Stripes,” starring Bill Murray, John Candy, and Harold Ramis. Reitman’s directing credits also include “Twins,” “Kindergarten Cop,” and “Junior,” all starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, and “Dave,” starring Kevin Kline.

He served as executive producer on 1992’s family-friendly hit “Beethoven,” the sequel “Beethoven’s 2nd,” and the 1994 TV series featuring the cherished St. Bernard. He also produced “Space Jam” in 1996, with NBA legend Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny teaming up on the court, and the 2021 version starring LeBron James. Reitman helped produce 2009’s Oscar-nominated “Up In The Air,” which starred George Clooney and Anna Kendrick and was co-written and directed by Jason Reitman.

Reitman was born in Komárno, Czechoslovakia, in 1946, where his father owned the country’s largest vinegar factory. His mother had survived Auschwitz, and his father was in the resistance. When the communists began imprisoning capitalists after the war, the Reitmans decided to escape when Reitman was only 4.

The Reitmans joined a relative in Toronto, where Ivan displayed his show biz inclinations: starting a puppet theater, entertaining at summer camps, playing coffee houses with a folk music group. He studied music and drama at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and started making movie shorts. With friends and $12,000, Reitman made a nine-day movie, “Cannibal Girls,” which American International agreed to release.

He produced on a $500 budget a weekly TV revue, “Greed,” with Dan Aykroyd. He became associated with the Lampoon group in its off-Broadway revue that featured John Belushi, Gilda Radner, and Bill Murray. That soon led to “Animal House.” Reitman seized the moment after “Animal House’s” massive success and raised money to direct “Meatballs,” which would be tamer than the hard-R “Animal House.”

Tom Rothman, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, was quoted in a tweet from the official “Ghostbusters” Twitter account saying, “Tonight, the lady with the torch weeps, as do all of us at Columbia, and film lovers around the world. Ivan Reitman was an inseparable part of this studio’s legacy, but more than that, he was a friend. A great talent and an even finer man, he will be dearly missed. We send his family all our condolences.”

In a joint statement, his children Jason, Caroline, and Catherine said, “Our family is grieving the unexpected loss of a husband, father, and grandfather who taught us to always seek the magic in life. 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.”

In an interview about the latest “Ghostbusters” reboot, Reitman said that he always took comedy and the power of laughter seriously. He went on to say how hard comedy is, but no one ever gives the genre respect. Thanks to the work of Ivan Reitman, people will be laughing for generations to come. He leaves behind his wife, Genevieve, and his children, Jason, Catherine, and Caroline.