He later produced, among other things, 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.
His family announced the death on Saturday. “The best brother a girl might ever dream of – my brother Jon – has passed away. My heart is broken, but also bursting with pride & gratitude for his extraordinary life,” his sister, playwright and theater director Tina Landau, wrote on X. As “The Hollywood Reporter” reported, citing a Disney Entertainment spokesperson, Landau died on Friday in Los Angeles shortly before his 64th birthday following a 16-month battle with cancer.
Landau was born on July 23, 1960 in New York. He was one of three children of television producers Ely and Edie Landau. During his high school years, he and his family moved to California. In 1987, he was involved in the production of a film for the first time, “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 grossed more than a billion US dollars for the first time, according to BBC News.
As the world’s most successful film, “Titanic” was only surpassed in 2009 by “Avatar: The Way of Water”, also a joint work by 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 he will be sorely missed. 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, said in a statement.
Cameron also highlighted Landau’s personal qualities to the industry portal “Deadline”. Landau was “unyielding, caring, inclusive, tireless, empathetic and absolutely unique”. “He produced great films, not by exerting 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 all people,” “Titanic” lead actress Kate Winslet (48) told “Deadline.” “He was a person of great compassion and exceptional at supporting and encouraging teams of phenomenally creative people,” she added. Actress Zoe Saldana, who worked on the “Avatar” films, remembered 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 scheduled to hit theaters in December 2025, followed by “Avatar 4” in 2029 and “Avatar 5” two years later. The three film releases were postponed last year due to the double strike by writers and actors in Hollywood.
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