What was Ivan Reitman's Net Worth?
Ivan Reitman was a Czechoslovakian/Canadian film producer, writer and director who had a net worth of $300 million at the time of his death. Ivan Reitman was best known for directing comedy films such as "Meatballs," "Stripes," "Ghostbusters," and "Dave." He also produced many films, including "Animal House," "Space Jam," and his son Jason's film "Up in the Air," among other titles. For television, Reitman directed the made-for-TV movie "Cooking Lessons."
Early Life and Education
Ivan Reitman was born on October 27, 1946 in Komárno, Czechoslovakia to Jewish parents Ladislav and Klara. His mother was an Auschwitz survivor, while his father was part of the underground resistance. When Reitman was four, he moved with his family to Canada as refugees. As a teen there, he went to Oakwood Collegiate Institute in Toronto. Reitman went on to attend McMaster University, from which he earned his bachelor of arts degree in 1969.
Career Beginnings
Reitman began his career in a producing job at the newly created CITY-TV in Toronto. After this brief stint, he produced a stage production of "Spellbound," which eventually became the Broadway musical "The Magic Show."
Film Directing in the 70s and 80s
Reitman made his feature film directorial debut in 1971 with the comedy "Foxy Lady," which he also edited and scored. Notably, the film marked the screen-acting debuts of both Andrea Martin and Eugene Levy. The pair reunited with Reitman in 1973 for the comedy horror film "Cannibal Girls." Reitman had his breakthrough as a director six years after that with the release of "Meatballs." Featuring Bill Murray in his first starring role, the film became the highest-grossing Canadian film in North America, and spawned a number of sequels. Murray would go on to appear in many more Reitman films after this.
Following the success of "Meatballs," Reitman had another hit with the 1981 war comedy "Stripes," starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Sean Young, John Candy, and Warren Oates, among others. Reitman had an even bigger smash three years later, when his supernatural comedy "Ghostbusters" lit up the box office to become the second-highest-grossing film of 1984. A cultural phenomenon, it led to the sequel "Ghostbusters II." Reitman's other directing credits in the 80s include "Legal Eagles," with Robert Redford, Darryl Hannah, and Debra Winger; and "Twins," starring Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
(Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for Universal Studios Hollywood)
Further Film Directing
Reitman kicked off the 90s with "Kindergarten Cop," which reunited him with Arnold Schwarzenegger. His subsequent film was the political comedy "Dave," starring Kevin Kline. This was followed by "Junior," Reitman's third film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger; "Fathers' Day," starring Robin Williams and Billy Crystal; and "Six Days, Seven Nights," an action-adventure comedy with Harrison Ford and Anne Heche.
Reitman's first directorial effort of the new millennium was 2001's "Evolution," a science-fiction comedy. His next film was the 2006 superhero comedy "My Super Ex-Girlfriend," starring Uma Thurman and Luke Wilson. Five years after that saw the release of Reitman's "No Strings Attached," a romcom with Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher. Reitman's final film as director was his first that wasn't a comedy: the 2014 sports drama "Draft Day," starring Kevin Costner and Jennifer Garner.
Ghostbusters Payday
In order to secure the rights to the highly-coveted "Ghostbusters" script, Columbia Pictures agreed to some very generous salary terms as negotiated by Michael Ovitz, the principal partner at talent agency CAA. All three principal actors (Aykroyd, Murray, Ramis) plus the film's director Ivan Reitman, would split 30% of the movie's gross revenues at the box office, home video sales and network licensing deals. In the end this turned into $300 million split four ways. That's $75 million per person. After adjusting for inflation, that's the same as $200 million PER PERSON!
For the sequel, the four principals got an even sweeter deal. They each received a $6 million upfront salary and then split 35% of the gross. "Ghostbusters II" was slightly less successful, earning around $215 million at the box office. One could conservatively assume that between salary and backend points, each of the four earned $50 million off the sequel. That's the same as $110 million after adjusting for inflation.
So, in total without adjusting for inflation, Ivan Reitman earned approximately $125 million from the first two Ghostbusters. After adjusting for inflation he earned $310 million in today's dollars.
Producing Career
Reitman began producing films in the 70s; his first credit was David Cronenberg's science-fiction body-horror film "Shivers." He subsequently produced "Death Weekend" and "Ilsa, the Tigress of Siberia," before having his breakthrough with the hit comedy "Animal House" in 1978. Three years after that, Reitman produced the adult animated anthology film "Heavy Metal." In the 90s, through his company Northern Lights Entertainment, Reitman produced and executive-produced such films as "Beethoven," "Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot," "Space Jam," and "Private Parts."
Reitman had his biggest single year as a producer in 2009, with three credits: "Post Grad," "Chloe," and "Up in the Air." The lattermost film, which was directed by his son Jason, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Reitman went on to produce "Hitchcock," the 2016 "Ghostbusters," "Baywatch," "Father Figures," and "A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting." He also executive-produced such films as "Road Trip," "Old School," "EuroTrip," "Disturbia," "I Love You, Man," and "Godmothered." Reitman's final film was "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," directed and written by his son and released in 2021.
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Honors
In 2007, Reitman was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. Two years later, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in recognition of his contributions to the film and television industries. In 2011, Reitman earned the Mayor's Prize in his hometown of Komárno, Slovakia.
Personal Life
In 1976, Reitman wed French-Canadian actress Geneviève Robert. Their three children are Caroline, who went to Santa Barbara City College; Catherine, an actress, writer, and producer; and Jason, the Academy Award-nominated director of such films as "Thank You For Smoking," "Juno," "Young Adult," and "Up in the Air."
Reitman passed away in February of 2022 at his home in Montecito, California. He was 75 years of age.
Real Estate
For several decades Ivan and Geneviève lived in various homes in Montecito, California. At the time of his death, they owned an absolutely stunning 10+acre property on one of the best streets in the town. The home on the property is a lavish, Spanish-style mansion with rolling gardens, a lake, a massive pool, an amphitheater and much more. The property is likely worth $50+ million.
