The producer of blockbuster movies such as Avatar and The Titanic has died at the age of 63.
Jon Landau, a regular collaborator with the director James Cameron, has worked on some of the most successful movies of all time.
Son of Film Producers
Jon Landau came from rich film production stock, with both of his parents also working as producers.
His mother and father founded American Film Theater, an experimental production company which adapted the scripts of plays into films which you could watch by buying a season ticket.
Success at an Early Age
Landau achieved success in his career at a young age, becoming an executive vice president at only 29.
He was then promoted to executive vice president of feature movies at 20th Century Fox, where he was involved in the production of a number of high-profile flicks.
Involved in a Number of Hits
During his time at 20th Century Fox, he was involved in some classic movies, including Home Alone and Mrs Doubtfire.
He also became known as a producer of special effects blockbusters, such as Dick Tracy and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.
First Contact with James Cameron
He first met James Cameron through his work on True Lies, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Cameron both wrote and directed the movie, which was distributed by 20th Century Fox.
Titanic Approach
After some time working for 20th Century Fox, Landau left the company to become a freelancer.
It was at this point Cameron approached him with the fateful script for The Titanic, which went on to become, at the time, the highest-grossing film ever.
First of Several Cameron Collaborations
Landau and Cameron worked together on, as yet, 3 of the top 5 grossing films of all time.
Titanic, Avatar and Avatar’s sequel, The Way of Water, each grossed over a billion dollars.
Iconic Visionary
Disney Entertainment’s co-chairman, Alan Bergman, wrote a glowing tribute to the producer, calling him a “visionary”.
“Jon was a visionary whose extraordinary talent and passion brought some of the most unforgettable stories to life on the big screen. His remarkable contributions to the film industry have left an indelible mark.”
Avatar’s Enduring Success
Avatar was a mega-hit back in 2009 starring Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana and set on the fictional planet of Pandora.
The film remains the top-grossing film of all time and was the first film to gross over $2 billion.
Working on Avatar Sequels
Jon Landau’s last project was to work on the Avatar sequels. There are currently 3 more planned.
The next sequel in the franchise is planned to be released sometime in 2025 and Landau’s influence will be missed.
