Sunday, July 07, 2024

RIP
Titanic and Avatar producer Jon Landau dies aged 63

By Kathryn Armstrong, BBC News
Getty Images
Jon Landau's career spanned several decades

Jon Landau - the Oscar-winning producer of some of the world's highest-grossing movies of all time, including Titanic and Avatar - has died aged 63.

Landau, who was the long-time producing partner of filmmaker James Cameron, reportedly died on Friday after living with cancer for more than a year.

His sister Tina confirmed his death on social media, calling him "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 Hollywood producers Ely and Edie Landau and for a time was an executive at the film production company 20th Century Fox, overseeing films including The Last Of The Mohicans and Die Hard 2.

Alongside Cameron, he helped to create the 1997 hit Titanic, which was the first film to make it past the $1bn mark at the global box office.

Later films Avatar and its sequel Avatar: The Way of Water, which were released in 2009 and 2022 respectively, went on to break Titanic's record.

Landau also co-produced other hit films including Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Dick Tracy, and held a management position in Cameron's production company Lightstorm Entertainment.

Following news of Landau's death, Cameron told The Hollywood Reporter that "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," he said.

"He will be remembered as much for his vast generosity of spirit as for the movies themselves.”

Director Sir Peter Jackson and his screenwriter wife Fran Walsh, whose visual effects company was used for the Avatar films, said in a statement that they were "devastated by the loss of Jon Landau".

"Jon brought unparalleled passion to the projects he worked on and his influence will continue to inspire for years to come."

The actor Zoe Saldaña, who starred in the Avatar films, wrote a message to Landau on Instagram, saying that his death was "hitting really hard".

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


Jon Landau, award-winning producer of Avatar and Titanic, dies at 63



US producer Jon Landau (L) speaks as Canadian director/producer James Cameron looks on as they are honored with a hand and footprint ceremony at TCL Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California, on 12 January 2023. Photo: FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP

Jon Landau, an American producer best known for producing Titanic and the Avatar film series, has died aged 63.

The Oscar-winning producer died of cancer on Saturday (NZT), reported Variety, leaving behind his wife Julie Landau and their sons Jamie and Jodie Landau.

Landau worked closely with director James Cameron over many years and the pair's collaborative efforts saw them make cinema history, with Titanic becoming the first film to top US$1 billion at the box office in 1997.

The duo twice managed to significantly break their box office record with Avatar, released in 2009, and its sequel Avatar: The Way of Water, released in 2022.

Cameron and Landau's Titanic and Avatar films remain three of the four highest-grossing films ever made (Avengers: Endgame is the second highest-grossing film).

Landau entered the film industry in the 1980s and served as a production manager. Climbing the ladder, he was promoted and became the executive vice president of feature film production at 20th Century Fox at only 29 years old.

He oversaw projects across the company, including Power Rangers, Die Hard 2, and Cameron's own 1994 film True Lies.

Cameron shared a script of his project Planet Ice with Landau after he quit 20th Century Fox. Landau signed on and Planet Ice eventually became Titanic.

Despite the challenges involved in its creation, Titanic was a commercial success and received numerous accolades, including 11 Oscars.


Landau and Cameron's Titanic became one of the biggest movies of all time. Photo: 7e Art/20th Century Fox / Photo12 via AFP

"I can't act and I can't compose and I can't do visual effects, so I guess that's why I'm producing," Landau said on stage in his acceptance speech for the Best Picture award at the 1998 Oscars.

Landau and Cameron continued to work together after Titanic was released.

Landau joined Cameron's production company Lightstorm Entertainment as chief operating officer, and the pair's next big break was Cameron's visionary project Avatar.

The cult sci-fi movie, produced using industry-leading CGI and 3D technology, smashed Titanic's box office record and remains the highest-grossing film ever at US$2.92b (NZ$4.73b).

The success of Avatar continued years later when Cameron and Landau released its highly-anticipated sequel Avatar: The Way of Water, which made over US$2.32b (NZ$3.78b) at the box office.

Landau spoke of his time working in the film industry in a 2022 interview with The Talks.

"I could never just sit at a desk and sign off on anything. Not just as a producer but in life.

"I want to participate, I want to have a voice, I want to have an influence. I want to be able to inspire people to go beyond what they think their own capabilities are, for them to feel pride in what we're doing.

"I think that's a very big thing. I never want to be that guy just at a desk anywhere in life."



Sir Peter Jackson Photo: AFP / Getty

Sir Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh released a statement addressing Landau's death. Their company, Wētā FX, created the visual effects for the Avatar film series.

"We speak for the entire Wētā FX team when we say we are devastated by the loss of Jon Landau.

"Jon was not only a monumental figure in the film industry but also a cherished collaborator and friend. [He] brought unparalleled passion to the projects he worked on and his influence will continue to inspire for years to come.

"Our deepest condolences are with Jon's family and loved ones, as well as Jim and the Lightstorm Entertainment team."

Alan Bergman, the co-chair of Disney Entertainment, also shared in a statement: "Jon was a visionary whose extraordinary talent and passion brought some of the most unforgettable stories to life on the big screen.

"His remarkable contributions to the film industry have left an indelible mark, and he will be profoundly missed."

* This story was first published in the New Zealand Herald.

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