It’s all in the family for this moviemaking clan
Ivan Reitman, children Jason and Catherine all thriving
TORONTO — The Reitman family, headed by Toronto-raised filmmaker Ivan Reitman, is a Canadian entertainment dynasty.
The Ghostbusters director is the father of fellow filmmaker Jason Reitman, a Montreal-born, four-time Oscar nominee who just announced plans to carry on his dad’s torch with the supernatural comedy film franchise.
On Tuesday, Jason Reitman confirmed via Twitter that he will direct a new instalment in the Ghostbusters series for Sony Pictures, with a release set for summer 2020.
Meanwhile, comedy star Catherine Reitman, who is Ivan’s daughter, announced last week that her Toronto-shot CBC TV series Workin’ Moms is being picked up by Netflix in the U.S.
Here’s a rundown on the Reitmans:
IVAN REITMAN
Born in Slovakia, his family came to Canada in 1950 when he was four. He studied at Hamilton’s McMaster University, where he started directing several short films before moving to Los Angeles.
Reitman has been a director and producer, for the screen and stage, and co-owns the Montecito Picture Company.
He rose to prominence producing 1978’s National Lampoon’s Animal House and then directing a string of other comedies, including Meatballs, Stripes, the first two Ghostbusters films, and Kindergarten Cop.
Reitman’s other producing credits include the 2009 drama Up in the Air, directed by Jason Reitman.
Ivan, who is married to Quebec actress Geneviève Robert, also produced a 2016 female-led Ghostbusters reboot.
His 1993 comedy Dave, starring Kevin Kline as an actor hired to impersonate the U.S. president, was a real Reitman family affair: Robert plays the wife of the U.S. vice-president (played by Ben Kingsley) and Jason plays their son. Catherine, then about age 12, also has one brief scene.
Ivan was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2007 and has been nominated for an Emmy and BAFTA, among other honours.
JASON REITMAN
Born in Montreal and raised in Los Angeles, Reitman studied creative writing at the University of Southern California and got his start on short films and commercials.
His hit 2005 feature debut, the satirical comedy Thank You For Smoking, was nominated for two Golden Globes, including best picture.
Reitman was on a roll after that, directing the teenage pregnancy movie Juno, which won an Oscar for Diablo Cody for best original screenplay and a Grammy for best soundtrack. It also got three other Oscar nominations, including best director for Reitman and best actress for Halifax native Ellen Page.
Then came the 2009 corporate downsizing dramedy Up in the Air, which Reitman directed, co-wrote and co-produced. It got six Oscar nominations, including best picture and best director.
Since then Reitman has racked up the directing credits — from Young Adult and Labor Day, to Tully and The Front Runner.
CATHERINE REITMAN
Born in Los Angeles, Reitman was a member of the Sunday Company at the Groundlings improv and sketch comedy theatre and school.
She has had roles on series including Black-ish, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and in films including I Love You, Man and Knocked Up.
She is also the creator and star of CBC’s parenting comedy Workin’ Moms, which debuted in 2017 and has been nominated for several Canadian Screen Awards and an International Emmy.
In 2016, Reitman formed Wolf and Rabbit Entertainment with her actor-husband, Philip Sternberg.