Hollywood mourns

“Titanic” and “Avatar” producer Landau is dead

Mourning for Hollywood producer Jon Landau - he passed away at the age of 63.(Bild: AP/Chris Pizzello)

Hollywood producer Jon Landau has died. The US-American had produced the feature film "Titanic" (1997) with director James Cameron and won an Oscar for it. 

He later produced the science fiction film "Avatar" (2009) and its sequels. Both "Titanic" and "Avatar" and its sequel "Avatar: The Way of Water" were extremely successful commercially.

16-month battle against cancer
His family announced the death on Saturday. "The best brother a girl could ever dream of - my brother Jon - has passed away. My heart is broken, but also bursting with pride & gratitude for his extraordinary life," wrote his sister, playwright and theater director Tina Landau, on X.

As "The Hollywood Reporter" reported, citing a Disney Entertainment spokesperson, Landau died on Friday in Los Angeles shortly before his 64th birthday after a 16-month battle with cancer.

James Cameron, right, and Jon Landau with the Oscars for Best Picture for the film "Titanic" at the 70th annual Academy Awards in March 1998.(Bild: AP/Reed Saxon)

"Exceptional talent and passion"
Landau was born in New York on July 23, 1960. He was one of three children of television producers Ely and Edie Landau. During his high school years, he moved to California with his family. In 1987, he was involved for the first time in the production of a movie, "Campus Man". He also co-produced the films "Dick Tracy" and "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids". In 1997, he produced "Titanic" with Cameron, a film that won eleven Oscars and, according to BBC News, grossed more than one billion US dollars for the first time.

Titanic" was not surpassed as the world's most successful film until 2009 by "Avatar - Departure to Pandora", also a joint venture between Landau and Cameron. Together they ran the production company Lightstorm Entertainment. "Avatar: The Way of Water" followed in 2022.

"Jon was a visionary whose extraordinary talent and passion brought some of the most unforgettable stories to life on screen. His remarkable contributions to the film industry have left an indelible mark, and we will sorely miss him. He was a famous and successful producer, but an even better human being and a true force of nature who inspired everyone around him," Alan Bergman of Disney Entertainment, which is behind the "Avatar" films, paid tribute to Landau in a statement.

"Absolutely unique"
 James Cameron also emphasized Landau's personal qualities to the industry portal "Deadline". Landau was "indomitable, caring, inclusive, tireless, empathetic and absolutely unique". "He produced great films, not by wielding power, but by spreading warmth and joy in filmmaking. He inspired us all (...). I have lost a dear friend and my closest collaborator with whom I worked for 31 years."

"Jon Landau was the kindest and best of people," "Titanic" leading actress Kate Winslet (48) told Deadline. "He was a person rich in compassion and extraordinary at supporting and nurturing teams of phenomenally creative people," she added.

Wisdom shaped
Actress Zoe Saldana, who worked on the "Avatar" films, commemorated Landau on Instagram. "Your wisdom and support have shaped so many of us," the 46-year-old wrote, among other things.

The third "Avatar" film is due to be released in December 2025, followed by "Avatar 4" in 2029 and "Avatar 5" two years later. The three cinema releases were postponed last year due to the double strike by writers and actors in Hollywood.