Jon Landau, an Oscar-winning producer who worked closely with director James Cameron on “Titanic” and the “Avatar” series, has died. He was 63.
Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, announced Mr. Landau’s death in a statement Saturday. No cause of death was given.
“Jon was a visionary whose extraordinary talent and passion brought some of the most unforgettable stories to life on the silver screen. His remarkable contributions to the film industry have left an indelible mark and he will be deeply missed. He was an iconic and successful producer, but an even better person and a true force of nature who inspired everyone around him,” said Bergman.
Jon Landau’s partnership with James Cameron led to three Academy Award nominations and a Best Picture win for “Titanic” in 1997. Together, the duo created some of the biggest blockbusters in cinema history, including “Avatar” and its sequel, “Avatar: Water.”
Jon Landau’s career began in the 1980s as a production manager, and he gradually rose through the ranks to take on a producer role on “Titanic,” James Cameron’s expensive epic about the infamous disaster.
The bet paid off: “Titanic” became the first film to exceed $1 billion in worldwide box office revenue and won 11 Oscars, including Best Picture.
“I can’t act, I can’t compose and I can’t do visual effects. I guess that’s why I produce,” Landau said as he accepted the award with the director.
Their partnership continued, with Mr. Landau becoming a top executive at James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment. In 2009, the duo brought to life “Avatar,” a science-fiction epic filmed and released in theaters with groundbreaking 3-D technology that surpassed “Titanic” at the box office. It remains the highest-grossing film of all time.
Its sequel, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” is third on the list.
Jon Landau has been a key player in the “Avatar” franchise, which has faced frequent delays in the release of the second installment. He has defended the progress of the sequel and Mr. Cameron’s ambitious plans to film multiple sequels at once to keep the franchise going.
“A lot of things have changed, but a lot of things haven’t changed,” Landau told The Associated Press in 2022, a few months before the sequel’s release. “One of the things that hasn’t changed is: Why do people turn to entertainment today? Just like they did when the first ‘Avatar’ came out, they do it to escape, to escape the world that we live in.”
Jon Landau was named executive vice president of feature films at 20th Century Fox at age 29, overseeing major hits such as “Home Alone” and its sequel, as well as “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “True Lie,” where he began working closely with James Cameron.
Born in New York City on July 23, 1960, Jon Landau was the son of film producers Ely and Edie Landau.
Ely Landau died in 1993. Edie Landau, the Oscar-nominated producer of films including “Long Day’s Journey,” “Spy Games” and “The Deadly Game,” died in 2022.
Jon Landau is survived by his wife of nearly 40 years, Julie, and their sons, Jamie and Jodie.