Hollywood mourns: Titanic and Avatar producer Jon Landau dies at 63

Jon Landau was a significant figure in Hollywood, and his filmography includes titles that made cinematic history. The acclaimed producer died at the age of 63 after a severe illness. What works came to be thanks to him?

Jon Landau died in Los Angeles on Friday, July 5, 2024. As Variety magazine reported, the cause of death was cancer. The 63-year-old artist was nominated several times by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and received the statue for the film Titanic in 1997.

The film producer initially worked as a production manager but quickly climbed the career ladder. In the '90s, he joined Twentieth Century Fox, where he contributed to the creation of hits like "The Last of the Mohicans" and "Die Hard 2."

He gained the most fame from "Titanic" and "Avatar." In both, he collaborated with director James Cameron. The love story on the "unsinkable" ship, thanks in part to their talents, became the first film in history to earn over a billion dollars.

It took the same duo's "Avatar" to dethrone "Titanic." The deceased filmmaker was also recognized at the Oscars in 2010 and 2023, when he was nominated for two parts of a popular animated production.

I can't act and I can't compose and I can't do visual effects, so I guess that's why I'm producing — he said on stage, accepting his first Oscar.

He was the producer of the comedy "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids," the science fiction film "Alita: Battle Angel" and the action film "True Lies" with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Jon Landau was born on July 30, 1960, in New York. As a teenager, he already tied his future to cinematography, continuing his parents' passion, who were also producers. He graduated with a degree in this field from the University of Southern California.

He was married to Julie Landau for 40 years. They had two sons, Jodi and Jamie, and four siblings—stepbrothers and stepsisters.