Photo Credit: Evan Agostini, Invision/AP

Filmmaker Ivan Reitman, perhaps best known as the director of the original Ghostbusters, has passed away. He was 75 years old.

Reitman's family informed the Associated Press that the director "died peacefully in his sleep" in his Montecito, California home on Saturday night. "Our family is grieving the unexpected loss of a husband, father, and grandfather who taught us to always seek the magic in life," Reitman's children -- Jason, Catherine and Caroline -- said in a joint statement. "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."

Reitman was born in Komárno, Czechoslovakia on Oct. 27, 1946. The son of Klara Reitman, a Holocaust survivor, and Ladislav "Leslie" Reitman, an underground freedom fighter, he came to Canada at the age of 4. Reitman went on to attend McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, where he produced and directed a number of short films. He graduated from McMaster with a Bachelor of Music in 1969 before marrying Geneviève Robert in 1976.

Throughout his career, Reitman directed numerous fan-favorite films, including Meatballs, Stripes, Ghostbusters (1984), Ghostbusters II, Twins, Kindergarten Cop, Dave, Junior and more. Reitman also produced such films as National Lampoon's Animal House, Heavy Metal, Space Jam, Ghostbusters (2016) and, most recently, Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Directed by Reitman's son, Jason Reitman, Afterlife released in theaters late last year. Ivan Reitman actually appeared in the new movie as one of the physical actors behind Egon Spengler, with the likeness of the late Harold Ramis being superimposed onto him.

Reitman is survived by his wife, Geneviève Robert, and his three children, Jason, Catherine and Caroline.

Source: Associated Press