‘Titanic’ and ‘Avatar’ producer Jon Landau passes away at 63

Jon Landau, the Oscar-winning producer celebrated for his work on some of the highest-grossing films in history, passed away on Friday, July 5, at the age of 63. 

This news has been confirmed by various sources including Deadline, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter.

According to Variety, the cause of Landau's death was cancer, though further specifics have not been disclosed.

Landau's notable career included a longstanding collaboration with director James Cameron. A native of Brooklyn, New York, Landau produced iconic films such as Titanic, Avatar, and its 2022 sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water. These films rank among the highest-grossing movies ever made.

At Lightstorm Entertainment, Cameron’s production company where Landau served as chief operating officer, the two created numerous films. This includes Solaris (2002) and Alita: Battle Angel (2019). They were also working on expanding the Avatar franchise.

Before his tenure at Lightstorm, Landau held the position of executive vice president of feature film production at 20th Century Fox. His oversight included movies like Die Hard 2, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Power Rangers, as reported by Variety.

Landau's return to producing with the 1997 blockbuster Titanic marked a significant milestone in his career. Alongside Cameron, Landau contributed to Titanic's groundbreaking achievement of becoming the first film to gross over $1 billion worldwide. 

The film also tied the record for the most Academy Awards won by a single film, securing 11 Oscars, including Best Picture—a feat previously achieved by Ben-Hur and later matched by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.