‘Titanic’ And ‘Avatar’ Producer Passes Away After Battle With Cancer

Jon Landau — an Oscar-winning producer who worked on some of the highest-grossing films of all-time like “Avatar” and “Titanic” — has passed away at the age of 63.

Landau, who frequently collaborated with critically acclaimed director James Cameron, died on Friday after reportedly battling cancer for more than a year. His sister Tina confirmed his death in a social media post, referring to the late producer as  “the best brother a girl could ever dream of.”

“My heart is broken but also bursting with pride & gratitude for his most extraordinary life, and the love and gifts he gave me – and all who knew him or his films,” she wrote.

Landau was the son of successful Hollywood producers Ely and Edie Landau and for a time was an executive at the film production company 20th Century Fox. During his time there, he worked on films like “The Last of the Mohicans” and “Die Hard II.”

While working with Cameron, he helped to produce what remains one of the highest-grossing films of all-time in “Titanic.” The 1997 film was the first to surpass the $1 billion global box office mark and remains one of the most successful pictures in terms of both total gross and when adjusting for inflation.

He also collaborated with Cameron on “Avatar” and its sequel “Avatar: The Way Of Water,” which were released in 2009 and 2022 respectively. Both films went on to surpass Titanic’s box office numbers. Landau went on to hold a position in Cameron’s production company Lightstorm Entertainment.

Other film credits for Landau include “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” and “Dick Tracy.”

Landau on the set of “Avatar: The Way of Water”

In a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, Cameron referred to Landau as “a great producer and a great human being has left us.”

“Jon Landau believed in the dream of cinema. He believed that film is the ultimate human art form, and to make films you have to first be human yourself,” the legendary director said. “He will be remembered as much for his vast generosity of spirit as for the movies themselves.”

Cameron was not the only film industry heavyweight to pay tribute to Landau in the hours following his passing.

“Jon brought unparalleled passion to the projects he worked on and his influence will continue to inspire for years to come,” said Peter Jackson and his screenwriter wife Fran Walsh, whose visual effects were used in the Avatar films, in a joint statement.

Zoe Saldaña, who starred in the Avatar films, stated that Landau’s death was “hitting him really hard.”

“Your wisdom and support shaped so many of us in ways we will always be grateful for.”

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