Nepotism is a very real thing in Hollywood, with countless second and third generation stars following in the family business, and it’s definitely easier getting your foot in the industry door if everybody knows who your parents are. However, it looked for a while as though Ghostbusters: Afterlife director Jason Reitman would blaze his own trail.
His father Ivan helmed the first two installments in the supernatural comedy franchise, as well as other broad studio vehicles including Stripes, Twins, Kindergarten Cop, Evolution and more. Jason, meanwhile, was an independent filmmaker that racked up four Academy Award nominations for his writing, directing and producing, delivering acclaimed hits like Juno and Up in the Air.
Eventually, he decided to get into the ghostbusting game, and now he’s getting roasted for it. After explaining in a recent interview that he’d actively avoided Ghostbusters due to the complicated relationship he had with his father, social media users latched on and widely mocked Reitman for using a big budget blockbuster sequel as a means of therapy.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife comes to theaters next week, where it’s hoping to piggyback the positive early buzz and turn it into box office success. Nepotism or not, fans are excited at the prospect of a direct sequel to 1989’s Ghostbusters II, especially when Paul Feig’s reboot proved to unpopular.
