‘Titanic’ and ‘Avatar’ Producer Jon Landau Dies at 63

Academy Award-winning producer Jon Landau, renowned for his work with director James Cameron on Titanic and the Avatar franchise, has passed away at age 63. The announcement was made by Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman in a statement acquired by CBS News on Saturday night.

“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. He was an iconic and successful producer yet an even better person and a true force of nature who inspired all around him,” Bergman expressed.

As of Sunday morning, the cause of Landau’s death has not been publicly disclosed. Landau and Cameron’s collaboration on Titanic earned three Oscar nominations and won the Best Picture award at the 1998 Academy Awards.

The pair went on to produce some of the most significant blockbusters in American cinema, including Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water. Landau started his career in Hollywood as a production manager during the 1980s before advancing to a producer role on Titanic, which became the first film to gross more than $1 million at the global box office.

“I can’t act and I can’t compose and I can’t do visual effects. I guess that’s why I’m producing,” Landau said during his acceptance speech for the Best Picture Oscar alongside Cameron, one of the eleven Academy Awards won by the film in 1998, according to CBS News.