Titanic and Avatar producer dies at 63

Jon Landau, the Oscar-winning producer who made director James Cameron's dream come true by overcoming enormous logistical challenges to bring the filmmaker's blockbusters Titanic and Avatar to the big screen, has died. He was 63.

Landau's family confirmed his death on July 5 in Los Angeles after a 16-month battle with cancer.

Film producer Jon Landau. Photo: AP

Landau's collaboration with Cameron resulted in three Oscar nominations and a Best Picture win for the 1997 film Titanic. Together, the two have created some of the biggest blockbusters in film history, including "Avatar" and its sequel, "Avatar: The Way of Water."

In a statement, director Cameron remembered him as "a dear friend and my closest collaborator for 31 years".

"His quirky humor, charm, generosity of spirit and strong will have been at the heart of the Avatar universe for nearly two decades. His legacy is not just the films he produced, but the personal example he set - indomitable, caring, generous, tireless, profound and utterly unique," Cameron said.

Landau's career began in the 1980s as an executive producer, and he gradually rose through the ranks, becoming co-producer of the shows "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" and "Dick Tracy".

He took on the role of producer for "Titanic," Cameron's expensive epic about the infamous 1912 maritime disaster. The gamble paid off: "Titanic" became the first film to surpass $1 billion in global box office receipts and won 11 Oscars, including best picture.

"I can't act, I can't compose and I can't do visual effects, so I guess that's why I produce," Landau said as he accepted the award alongside director Cameron.

Their partnership continued, with Landau becoming a senior executive at Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment. In 2009, the groundbreaking 3D science fiction film "Avatar" surpassed the box office success of "Titanic" to become the highest-grossing film of all time.

Zoe Saldaña, one of the stars of the "Avatar" series, made an emotional tribute on Instagram: "We will always be grateful for your wisdom and support. Your legacy will continue to inspire us and help us navigate our journey."

“Jon is a visionary whose extraordinary talent and passion have brought some of the most powerful stories to the big screen,” said Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment.

Landau was appointed executive vice president of feature films at 20th Century Fox when he was 29, which led him to oversee hits such as "Home Alone" and its sequel, as well as "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "True Lies," where he began working closely with Cameron.

Born in New York on July 23, 1960, Landau is the son of film producers Ely and Edie Landau. The family moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s, and Landau went on to graduate from the University of Southern California's film school.

Ely Landau died in 1993. Edie Landau, the Oscar-nominated producer of films such as "Long Day's Journey Into Night," "Hopscotch" and "The Deadly Game," died in 2022.

Ngoc Anh (according to AP, Hollywood Reporter)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/nha-san-xuat-phim-titanic-va-avatar-qua-doi-o-tuoi-63-post302551.html