LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jon Landau, a Oscar Winner producer who worked closely with the director James Cameron The actor who worked on three of the biggest blockbusters of all time, “Titanic” and two “Avatar” films, has died at the age of 63.
Landau’s family announced his death Saturday. No cause of death was given.
Landau’s partnership with Cameron earned him three Academy Award nominations and a Best Picture Oscar for “Titanic” in 1997. Together, they created some of the biggest blockbusters in cinema history, including “Avatar” and its sequel, “Avatar: Water.”
Cameron paid tribute to “a dear friend and my closest collaborator for 31 years,” he said in a statement. “A part of me has been ripped away,” he added.
“His zany humor, personal magnetism, great generosity of spirit and fierce will were at the center of our Avatar universe for nearly two decades,” Cameron said. “His legacy is not just the films he produced, but the personal example he set – indomitable, caring, inclusive, tireless, insightful and utterly unique.”
Landau’s career began in the 1980s as a production manager, and he gradually rose through the ranks, becoming a co-producer on “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” and “Dick Tracy.”
He served as a producer on “Titanic,” Cameron’s expensive epic about the infamous 1912 maritime disaster. The gamble paid off: “Titanic” became the first film to top $1 billion in worldwide box office revenue and won 11 Oscars, including best picture.
“I can’t act, I can’t compose, I can’t do visual effects, so I guess that’s why I produce.” Landau said in accepting the award with Cameron.
Cameron, right, and Landau hold the best picture Oscar for “Titanic” in 1998. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
Their partnership continued, and Landau became a top executive at Cameron’s subsidiary Lightstorm Entertainment. In 2009, the duo saw Avatar, a science fiction epic filmed and released in theaters using revolutionary 3D technology, surpass Titanic at the box office. It remains the highest-grossing film of all time.
Its sequel, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” is third on the list.
“Your wisdom and support have shaped so many of us in ways we will always be grateful for,” Zoe Saldaña, one of the stars of the “Avatar” franchise, said in a statement. moving tribute on Instagram“Your legacy will continue to inspire and guide us on our journey.”
Landau played a key role in the “Avatar” franchise, which has seen frequent delays in the release of “The Way of Water.” Landau defended the progress of the sequel and Cameron’s ambitious plans to film multiple sequels at once to keep the franchise going.
“A lot has changed, but a lot has not changed” Landau told The Associated Press in 2022, a few months before the sequel’s release. “One of the things that hasn’t changed is: Why do people turn to entertainment today? Just like they did when the first ‘Avatar’ came out, they do it to escape, to escape the world we live in.”
“Jon was a visionary whose extraordinary talent and passion brought some of the most unforgettable stories to life on the silver screen. His remarkable contributions to the film industry left an indelible mark and he will be deeply missed. He was an iconic and successful producer, but also an even better person and a true force of nature who inspired everyone around him,” Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, said in a statement.
Landau was named executive vice president of feature films at 20th Century Fox at age 29, where he oversaw major hits including “Home Alone” and its sequel, as well as “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “True Lies,” where he began working closely with Cameron.
Rodriguez, actress Rosa Salazar and Landau at a press conference to promote “Alita: Battle Angel” in Seoul, South Korea, in 2019. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Landau also played a major role in the 2019 manga adaptation of Alita: Battle Angel for the big screen. Cameron supported the project, but his commitments to Avatar prevented him from directing, so Landau worked with director Robert Rodriguez to complete the film.
Born in New York City 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 graduated 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.
Jon Landau is survived by his wife of nearly 40 years, Julie; their sons, Jamie and Jodie; as well as two sisters and a brother.
