Jon Landau, ‘Avatar’ & ‘Titanic’ Producer, Dies at 63 — James Cameron, Kate Winslet React

Hollywood producer Jon Landau has died at age 63. Landau is renowned for his collaborations with director James Cameron on Titanic, Avatar, and Avatar: The Way of Water, three of the five highest-grossing movies of all time. He and Cameron also shared a 1998 Best Picture Oscar for Titanic.

Landau died on Friday, July 5, after a 16-month fight against cancer, according to Deadline.

After getting his start in Hollywood as a production manager on films like F/X and Manhunter, Landau became a producer, working on films like Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Dick Tracy. He then became a 20th Century Fox executive vice president at age 29 and oversaw films like Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Speed. And it was that job that led him to his first collaboration with Cameron on the film True Lies.

Landau eventually became chief operating officer of Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment and expanded the Avatar universe into video gaming, a themed Disney World area, and a Cirque du Soleil show.

In a statement, Cameron highlighted Landau’s “zany humor, personal magnetism, great generosity of spirit, and fierce will” that centered the Avatar universe.

“His legacy is not just the films he produced, but the personal example he set — indomitable, caring, inclusive, tireless, insightful and utterly unique,” the filmmaker added. “He produced great films, not by wielding power but by spreading warmth and the joy of making cinema. He inspired us all to be and to bring our best, every day. I have lost a dear friend, and my closest collaborator of 31 years. A part of myself has been torn away.”

Kate Winslet, who starred in Titanic and reunited with Cameron and Landau on Avatar: The Way of Water, said in a statement that she had known Landau since she was 20 and that “his passion for filmmaking only deepened with age.”

She said: “Jon Landau was the kindest and best of men. He was a man who was rich with compassion and exceptional at supporting and nurturing teams of phenomenal creative people. His strength in life was knowing the importance of family, at home and at work. He was always full of smiles and gratitude. I can’t believe I am writing this, can’t believe he is gone.”

 

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And Avatar star Zoe Saldaña mourned Landau in an Instagram post on Saturday, July 6, writing: “Dear Jon, words are hard to put together right now. Your passing is hitting really hard. You are leaving us too soon. My thoughts are with you and your family right now. Your wisdom and support shaped so many of us in ways we will always be grateful for. The memories we shared together will always hold a special place in my heart. Your legacy will continue to inspire us and guide us in our journey. Rest in peace, dear Jon. You will be deeply missed.”