Jon Landau, the Oscar-winning movie producer recognized for collaborating with James Cameron on iconic movies reminiscent of Titanic and the Avatar franchise, died on Friday at age 63.
The Hollywood produced died after a battle with most cancers, in line with Selection.
“Jon was a visionary whose extraordinary expertise and fervour introduced among the most unforgettable tales to life on the massive display screen,” Disney Leisure co-chair Alan Bergman stated in an announcement.
Bergman famous that Landau was not solely an iconic and profitable producer but additionally a exceptional one that impressed these round him. Throughout this troublesome time, he prolonged condolences to Landau’s spouse, Julie, and his household and family members.
Born on July 30, 1960, in New York, New York, to producers Ely and Edie Landau, Jon Landau credited his dad and mom with instructing him the abilities wanted to achieve the trade.
Get updates on the newest posts and extra from Monsters and Critics straight to your inbox.
He attended USC’s Faculty of Cinematic Arts and started his profession as a manufacturing supervisor on movies reminiscent of 1985’s Key Alternate and the 1986 movies F/X and Manhunter.
Jon Landau made historical past as a producer with Titanic
Landau produced Disney’s Honey, I Shrunk the Children, and Dick Tracy earlier than changing into government vp of function productions at twentieth Century Fox at solely 29.
Throughout his tenure within the Nineteen Nineties, he produced the 1997 blockbuster Titanic, successful an Academy Award for Greatest Image. Titanic made historical past as the primary movie to succeed in $1 billion on the field workplace. Landau additionally received two Golden Globes for Titanic and Avatar.
His tenure at twentieth Century Fox included overseeing hit motion pictures reminiscent of Dwelling Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire, Velocity, Ready to Exhale, Die Laborious 2, and The Final of the Mohicans
Jon Landau was engaged on the Avatar sequels with James Cameron
His collaboration with James Cameron started with True Lies, ultimately resulting in their partnership on Titanic and within the Avatar franchise.
In recent times, Landau performed an important function in increasing the Avatar universe, working with Cameron and Disney on the Avatar points of interest at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom and producing the sequels.
He was additionally COO of Cameron’s Lightstorm Leisure and produced 2019’s Alita: Battle Angel and Avatar: The Method of Water, the primary of 4 deliberate sequels, which was launched in 2022, grossing over $2.3 billion worldwide.
In line with The Wrap, Landau was set to provide all 4 sequels, with Avatar 3 and elements of Avatar 4 already filmed and the fifth film but to be shot. Disney’s twentieth Century Studios is scheduled to launch Avatar 3 in December 2025.
