Hollywood has seen countless producers work within the industry and seek to make their mark on the history of cinema. Although, there are some that manage to make greater impressions than others. One such person would be Jon Landau, the veteran producer best known for his collaborations with director James Cameron on Titanic, Avatar and more. We’ve now sadly learned that Landau has passed away after dealing with an illness. The filmmaker was 63 at the time of his passing.
News of Jon Landau’s death was provided by a family source, who spoke with TheWrap. Per the unnamed individual, Landau had been diagnosed with cancer, though additional details were not provided. As of this writing, an official statement has yet to be released from the filmmaker’s relatives. In the aftermath of the news coming to light, a number of fans have taken to X to pay tribute to the man who helped build worlds that have been enjoyed on the big screen for so many years. Landau himself was a consistent presence on social media, excitedly sharing tidbits for fans. You can see a post from his visit to Walt Disney Imagineering below:
Born in New York City in 1960, the would-be-filmmaker was the son of film producer and studio exec Ely Landau and film/TV producer Edythe “Edie” Landau. He eventually enrolled at the University of Southern California, where he attended the institution’s School of Cinematic Arts. Early in his career, he served in producing roles on Campus Man, Dick Tracy and the classic Disney movie Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. By the ‘90s, he became Twentieth Century Fox’s executive vice president of feature film production. During his tenure, the studio saw the release of massive hits like Die Hard 2, True Lies and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie.
Later in the decade though, Jon Landau would see even more success. He worked behind the scenes on Titanic, serving as a producer alongside James Cameron. The film was released to critical acclaim and ultimately won 11 of the 14 Oscars it was nominated for. Within those accolades, Landau won an Academy Award for Best Picture. It was the most expensive film ever made at the time of its release, but it certainly earned back its money. During its initial release, the film finished its theatrical gross with a worldwide total of $1.84 billion. It was the first movie to ever reach the financial benchmark, and it effectively became the highest grossing film of all time.
The aforementioned romance movie would eventually be surpassed, money-wise, by another famous Cameron/Landau collaboration. Said movie is 2009’s Avatar, which opened to positive reviews and eventually claimed the box office throne. Cameron’s sci-fi flick eventually became the first movie to ever hit $2 billion at the global box office and still remains the highest grossing movie of all time. It also received. nine Oscar nominations and won three of the awards. Additionally, its 2022 sequel, The Way of Water, earned massive numbers and currently sits as the third highest grossing movie of all time. (With that, Cameron has directed three of the top movies on that list.) TWoW was also nominated for four Academy Awards.
Among Jon Landau’s other film producing credits are Solaris and Alita: Battle Angel, another collaboration between him and James Cameron. Back in 2022, Landau revealed to CinemaBlend that he was still pushing for an Alita sequel at Disney. Ahead of his passing, he was also working on the upcoming Avatar 3 as well as the other two sequels. In June 2023, Landau posted about the “epic undertaking” of making the films, stressing that each one needed the appropriate time to reach the desired level of quality.
It would be an understatement to say that this is a devastating loss for the film industry and Hollywood as a whole. We’ve lost yet another legendary figure within the entertainment landscape. But what’s comforting, amid this unexpected tragedy is that so many are showing love and indicating just how much they’ve been impacted by the late Avatar producer’s work.
We here at CinemaBlend extend our thoughts and deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Jon Landau at this time.
