LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jon Landau, the Oscar-winning producer who worked closely with director James Cameron on two of the biggest blockbusters of all time, “Titanic” and “Avatar,” has died. He was 63.
Landau’s family announced his death on Saturday. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Landau and Cameron’s team-up led to three Oscar nominations and a Best Picture win for Titanic in 1997. The pair went on to work on some of the biggest hits in film history, including Avatar and its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water.
In a statement, Cameron remembered his “dear friend and closest collaborator for 31 years.” “A part of me has been ripped away,” he said.
“His quirky humor, magnetic charm, generosity of spirit and intensity have been at the heart of our Avatar universe for almost two decades,” Cameron said. “His legacy lies not just in the films he produced, but the personal example he set: indomitable, compassionate, inclusive, tireless, insightful and utterly unique.”
Landau began his career in the 1980s as a production manager and worked his way up the ranks, serving as co-producer on films like Hogwarts and Dick Tracy.
He accepted a producer’s role on “Titanic,” Cameron’s big-budget epic about the infamous shipwreck of 1912. The gamble paid off, as “Titanic” became the first movie to gross more than $1 billion at the global box office and won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
“I guess I’m a producer because I can’t act, compose music or do visual effects.” Landau said in accepting the award: With Cameron.
Their partnership continued, with Landor becoming a top executive at Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment, and in 2009 the pair watched the groundbreaking 3D science fiction blockbuster “Avatar” surpass “Titanic” at the box office, and it remains the highest-grossing film of all time.
Its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, comes in at number three on the list.
Jon Landau (L) and James Cameron sign a cement plaque during a handprint and footprint ceremony in cement at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, California, Thursday, January 12, 2023. (Willie San Juan/InVision/AP Photo)
“Your wisdom and support have shaped so many of us in ways that we will always be grateful for,” said Zoe Saldana, one of the stars of the “Avatar” series. A moving tribute on Instagram“Your legacy will continue to inspire and guide us on our journey.”
Landau was a key figure in the Avatar franchise, and the release of Avatar: Beyond the Edge has been repeatedly delayed. Landau defended the sequels’ progress and Cameron’s ambitious plan to film multiple sequels simultaneously to continue the franchise.
“A lot of things have changed, but a lot of things remain the same,” Landau told The Associated Press in 2022, months before the sequel’s release. “One thing that hasn’t changed is why people turn to entertainment today. Just like when the first ‘Avatar’ came out, people turn to entertainment for escape, to escape the world we live in.”
“John was a visionary whose extraordinary talent and passion brought some of the most unforgettable stories to life on the big screen. His incredible contributions to the film industry left an indelible mark and he will be deeply missed. He was an iconic and successful producer, but even more than that, he was an incredible person and a true force of nature that inspired those around him,” Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, said in a statement.
At age 29, Landau was named executive vice president of feature films at Twentieth Century Fox, overseeing such blockbusters as “Home Alone” and its sequels, “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “True Lies,” and first began working closely with Cameron.
Landau also influenced the 2019 manga-based film adaptation of “Alita: Battle Angel.” Cameron supported the project but was unable to direct due to his commitments in “Avatar.” Landau instead worked with director Robert Rodriguez to complete the film.
Landau was born on July 23, 1960 in New York City to film producers Ellie and Eddie Landau. The family moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s, and Landau graduated from the University of Southern California’s film school.
Elie Landau died in 1993. Edie Landau, an Oscar-nominated producer whose work on films like Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Hopscotch, and Deadly Games, Died in 2022.
Jon Landau is survived by his wife Julie, to whom he was married almost 40 years, his sons Jamie and Jody, two sisters and one brother.
