Jon Landau | Photo credit: Chris Pizzello
Jon Landau, an Academy Award-winning producer who has worked with director James Cameron on three of the biggest blockbusters of all time, Titanic give more Avatar The famous film actor has passed away. He was 63 years old.
Landau’s family announced his death on Saturday. No cause of death was given.
Landau’s partnership with Cameron led to three Oscar nominations and a Best Picture award in 1997. Titanic. Together, the pair have delivered some of the biggest blockbusters in film history, including Avatar And its result, Avatar: The Way of Water.
“Jon Landau believed in the dream of cinema. He believed that film was the ultimate human art form and that to make a movie, you must first be a human being yourself,” Cameron said in a lengthy statement. The Hollywood Reporter“He will be remembered for his films as well as his boundless generosity.”
“I worked with Jon Landau for 31 years and I never saw him down,” Cameron said. “He worked with a balance of humor and determination and showed a genuine joy in his work.”
Landau’s career began as a production manager in the 1980s, and he gradually moved up the ranks, serving as co-producer on ‘This Is Not Again’. Honey I made the kids small And Dick Tracy,
He took on the role of producer TitanicCameron’s expensive epic about the infamous maritime disaster of 1912. The bet was successful: Titanic The film became the first film to gross $1 billion at the global box office and won 11 Oscars, including Best Picture.
“I can’t act, compose music and do visual effects, so I guess that’s why I’m producing,” Landau said while accepting the award with Cameron.
Their partnership continued, with Landau becoming a top executive at Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment. 2009 saw the pair AvatarA sci-fi epic that was filmed and shown in theatres with 3D technology, becoming a box-office success TitanicIt remains the highest-grossing film of all time. Its sequel, Avatar: The Path of WaterIt is third on the list.
“Your wisdom and support have shaped so many of us in ways for which we will always be grateful,” said Zoe Saldana, one of the stars Avatar the franchise said in an emotional tribute on Instagram.
Landau has been a key player in this matter. Avatar The franchise, which has seen constant delays in its release water wayLandau defended the progress made on the sequels and Cameron’s ambitious plan to film multiple sequels simultaneously to continue the franchise.
“A lot has changed, but a lot hasn’t changed,” Landau said. The Associated Press In 2022, a few months before the sequel’s release. “One thing that hasn’t changed is: Why do people turn to entertainment today? Just like they did the first time Avatar When they are released, they do so to escape, to escape the world we live in.”
“John 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, and he will be greatly missed. He was not only an iconic and successful producer, but also an even better human being and a true force of nature who inspired everyone around him,” Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman said in a statement.
Landau was appointed executive vice president of feature films at 20th Century Fox at the age of 29, which led to him overseeing major hits including home alone and its sequel as well Mrs. Doubtfire And True lieswhere he first began working closely with Cameron.
Landau was also influential in bringing the manga adaptation to life Alita: Battle Angel on the big screen in 2019. Cameron supported the project, but his Avatar Due to commitments he was unable to direct it. Instead, Landau completed the film with director Robert Rodriguez.
Born in New York on July 23, 1960, Landau was the son of filmmakers Ellie and Edie Landau. The family moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s and Landau graduated from the University of Southern California’s film school. Ellie Landau died in 1993. Eddie Landau, Oscar-nominated filmmaker of such films as Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Hopscotch And Deadly GamesDied in 2022.
Jon Landau is survived by his wife Julie, who was with him for nearly 40 years, his sons Jamie and Jody, and two sisters and a brother.
