Ghostbusters Frozen Empire Tribute: Who is Ivan? How did He Die?

of Ghostbusters Frozen Empire Tribute: Who is Ivan? How did He Die? Diksha Sundriyal
July 23, 2024

New York City faces a threat from an otherworldly being in ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,’ and only one group can save the city. A follow-up to ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife,’ ‘Frozen Empire’ brings back the Spenglers, who are now full-time Ghostbusters. They face the same challenges the original group did, and the backlash is even worse as the city questions their methods and the destruction they leave behind. However, when an unprecedented threat appears, the new Ghostbusters and the old unite to save the city. The film, which maintains a great connection between the old and the new, is dedicated “for Ivan,” which shows how much the new Ghostbusters is dedicated to keeping in touch with its roots.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is Dedicated to Ivan Reitman

Producer and director Ivan Reitman died on February 12, 2022, at the age of 75. He passed away in his sleep at his home in Montecito, California. He was married to Genevieve, with whom he had three children: Jason, Catherine, and Caroline. Born on October 27, 1946, in Komárno, Czechoslovakia, Ivan emigrated to Canada with his family in 1950 and attended McMaster University in Ontario, which is where he got into filmmaking.

Working as a producer and director in Hollywood, he collaborated with up-and-coming comics, like Bill Murray, who would later become legends in their own right. Films like ‘National Lampoon’s Animal House,’ ‘Meatballs,’ ‘Stripes,’ ‘Twins,’ and ‘Kindergarten Cop,’ amongst others are credited to him. But the film that really changed the game was ‘Ghostbusters.’ Reitman served as the producer and director of the first ‘Ghostbusters’ for which he also assembled the cast that went on to become iconic. Considered to have been the first and only choice for directing the film, Reitman was instrumental in getting the project off the ground.

Initially, the film was supposed to have been grander in scale, but it was Reitman who suggested New York as its setting and sowed the idea of grounding the story so it would be more relatable to the audience. This formula, added to his instinctive direction of the film, worked wonders, and the film became an instant hit. Even with the scaling down of the plot, he saw it as “a very huge, and frankly impossible” movie with a “brilliant idea at its core,” which is why even with all the hurdles in its path, Reitman did whatever he could to have it made and have it made well.

Ivan Reitman Knew About the Plot of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Since the success of the first ‘Ghostbusters,’ the franchise has expanded and Reitman was involved with every project that was made under its name. He was also involved with Paul Feig’s ‘Ghostbusters,’ which is not included in the canon of the new movies. He served as a producer for ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife,’ in which he also worked with the motion capture department to portray Egon’s ghost, with Harold Ramis’ likeness superimposed on him.

Ivan died after the release of ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ and wasn’t around when the production of ‘Frozen Empire’ began. However, he was apprised of the plot for the new film and had reportedly given his approval. Gil Kenan and Jason Reitman (Ivan’s son, who also co-wrote and directed ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’) had already chalked up the movie’s plot and talked it over with Ivan to get his input.

His approval was essential for them to go forward with what was still merely a pitch and turn it into a full-fledged screenplay. Initially, Reitman was supposed to have directed the film, but following Ivan’s death, he took a step back, and Kenan took over. While Ivan Reitman may not have been around during the making of ‘Frozen Empire,’ the film acknowledges his influence on it, and the dedication at the end of the movie shows that even in the future, ‘Ghostbusters’ movies will continue to be made in the way envisioned by him.

Read More: Ghostbusters Frozen Empire: All Filming Locations Explored

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