Jon Landau (film producer)

Jon Landau (July 23, 1960 – July 5, 2024) was an American film producer, who won an Academy Award for Best Picture for producing James Cameron's epic romantic disaster film Titanic (1997). He was also nominated for producing Cameron's epic science fiction films Avatar (2009) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). , these are three of the four highest-grossing films of all time.

Early life
Landau was born in New York City on July 23, 1960, as the son of Edie, a producer, and Ely A. Landau, a studio executive and producer. He had two half-brothers, Neil Landau and Les Landau, and two sisters, Tina Landau and Kathy Landau. He attended the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Landau was Jewish.

Career
Throughout the early 1990s, Landau was executive vice president of feature film production at Twentieth Century Fox. In 1993, he would meet James Cameron while he was, as Cameron put it, "serving as the studio ‘suit’ assigned to oversee True Lies." According to Cameron, he "lured" Landau "away from Fox to join my production company, Lightstorm."

He was best known for producing Titanic (1997), a film which won him an Academy Award and became the highest-grossing film of all time, the first ever to reach $1 billion in gross revenues. The film reached $1.84 billion, more than double the $914 million of then-record-holder Jurassic Park (1993). Titanic later went on to gross another $300 million in 2012, pushing the film's worldwide total to $2.18 billion, becoming the second film to ever hit $2 billion, as a result.

In 2009, Landau and James Cameron produced the science fiction blockbuster Avatar, which has since surpassed their earlier collaboration, Titanic, to become the new highest-grossing film of all time, with $2.92 billion. Avatar earned Landau his second Academy Award nomination. Shortly after his death in July 2024, James Cameron stated that it was Landau who was in fact "the heart of the Avatar family” and "the center of gravity of our bubble universe."

Personal life
For nearly 40 years, Landau was married to Julie. They had two sons, Jamie and Jodie.

Death
Landau died in Los Angeles on July 5, 2024, at the age of 63. Variety reported that he died of cancer. Avatar 3, Avatar 4 and Avatar 5, which were produced by him prior to his death, will be released posthumously.

Awards

 * Florida Film Critics Circle Award Winner – Titanic – (1997)
 * Golden Globe Award Winner– Titanic – (1998)
 * Producers Guild of America Darryl F Zanuck Theatrical Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award Winner – Titanic – (1998)
 * Academy Award Winner – Titanic – (1998)
 * Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Award Winner – Titanic – (1998)
 * MTV Movie Award Winner– Titanic – 1997
 * People Choice Award Winner – Titanic – (1999)
 * Golden Globe Award Winner – Avatar – (2010)
 * Producers Guild of America Darryl F Zanuck Theatrical Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award Nomination – Avatar – (2010)
 * Academy Award Nomination – Avatar – (2010)
 * Golden Globe Award Nomination – Avatar: The Way of Water – (2023)
 * Producers Guild of America Darryl F Zanuck Theatrical Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award Nomination – Avatar: The Way of Water – (2023)
 * Academy Award Nomination – Avatar: The Way of Water – (2023)

Filmography
Producer
 * Campus Man (1987)
 * Titanic (1997)
 * Solaris (2002)
 * Avatar (2009)
 * Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
 * Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
 * Avatar 3 (2025)
 * Avatar 4 (2029)
 * Avatar 5 (2031)

Co-producer
 * Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)
 * Dick Tracy (1990)