After a fight with cancer, Jon Landau, the Oscar-winning producer known for his work with filmmaker James Cameron on successful movies like “Titanic” and “Avatar,” passed away at the age of 63. His cause of death was not stated in the family’s Saturday announcement of his departure.
Beginning in the 1980s, Jon Landau and Cameron had a long-standing partnership that shaped his career. They collaborated to create some of the highest-grossing movies in history. Three Oscar nominations and a Best Picture award were received for their work on the 1997 film “Titanic.” With the support of Landau, “Titanic” became the first movie to break $1 billion at the box office worldwide and went on to win 11 Oscars.
In honoring his friend and partner, James Cameron wrote that Landau was “a dear friend and my closest collaborator of 31 years.” Cameron noted that Landau’s influence went beyond their films to the personal example he established, and he commended Landau’s humor, kindness, and unwavering spirit.
In the 1980s, Jon Landau started out in the film industry as a production manager. Later, he co-produced movies like “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” and “Dick Tracy.” His production work on “Titanic” propelled him to fame, and he went on to collaborate closely with Cameron on other big films, such as “Avatar” and its follow-up, “Avatar: The Way of Water.” The first “Avatar” movie is still the highest-grossing movie of all time, with its sequel coming in third.
Jon Landau has sadly passed away at the age of 63.
He served as a producer on ‘Titanic’ and the ‘Avatar’ films. pic.twitter.com/PSkbmWGFYY
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 6, 2024Apart from his contributions to the “Avatar” series, Landau aided in the completion of the manga translation “Alita: Battle Angel” for the big screen in 2019. He collaborated with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez on the project.
Film producers Ely and Edie Landau were the parents of Landau, who was born in New York on July 23, 1960. In the 1970s, the family relocated to Los Angeles, where Jon completed his studies at the University of Southern California’s film school. At the age of 29, he rose to the position of executive vice president of feature films at 20th Century Fox, where he oversaw blockbuster films like “Home Alone,” “Mrs. Doubtfire,” and “True Lies.”
In addition to his two sisters and a brother, Landau is survived by Julie, his wife of almost forty years, and their sons, Jamie and Jodie. Both colleagues and admirers will remember his contributions to the film industry and his legacy. Zoe Saldaña, a prominent figure in the “Avatar” film series, honored Landau by stating, “Your guidance and assistance molded numerous individuals in ways we shall always be appreciative of.” We will continue to draw inspiration and direction from your legacy as we travel.
