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Ivan Reitman has been responsible for many of the most successful and enduring film comedies of the past two decades. As a director and producer, his films have grossed over 2.5 billion dollars and have helped launch the film careers of a number of popular stars.

Two of Reitman's earliest directing hits were the comedies Meatballs and Stripes, which together made Bill Murray a box office star. In 1984, Reitman and Murray again teamed for their most successful outing to date, Ghostbusters, directed and produced by Reitman and starring Murray, Sigourney Weaver, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis and Annie Potts. The film was a comedy smash, adding the catch phrase Who ya gonna call? to our cultural lexicon. Five years later, the stars reunited for the hit sequel, Ghostbusters II, also directed and produced by Reitman.

In addition, he directed and produced Twins, which cast action star Arnold Schwarzenegger in a new comedic light, teaming him with Danny De Vito. Reitman later directed Schwarzenegger in the comedies Kindergarten Cop and Junior, both of which he also produced. He has also directed and produced Legal Eagles, starring Robert Redford and Darryl Hannah; Dave, starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver; Father's Day, teaming Robin Williams and Billy Crystal; and Six Days/Seven Nights, pairing Harrison Ford and Anne Heche.

Reitman also produced the landmark comedy National Lampoon's Animal House, which catapulted John Belushi to film stardom. He more recently served as an executive producer on last summer's comedy hit Road Trip, and includes among his other producing credits Space Jam, combining live action, animation and Michael Jordan; Beethoven and Beethoven's 2nd; and Private Parts, starring shock jock Howard Stern, to name only a few.

Reitman received an Emmy Award nomination for his work as an executive producer on the HBO telefilm The Late Shift. His other television credits include the Saturday morning cartoon series Beethoven, and the Emmy-nominated The Real Ghostbusters.

Away from the camera, Reitman, early in his career, produced the stage show Spellbound, which evolved into the long-running Broadway musical The Magic Show, starring Doug Henning. He later returned to Broadway to produce and direct the musical hit Merlin, also starring Henning, for which Reitman earned dual Tony Award nominations for Best Musical and Best Director.

Presently, Reitman, together with Tom Pollock, is a principal of The Montecito Picture Company, which has a first-look deal with DreamWorks. Evolution marks the second film to be produced under that pact. Their upcoming films include Killing Me Softly, due out later in 2001, on which Reitman served as an executive producer.