Jon Landau, born on July 23, 1960, and passing away on July 5, 2024, was a renowned American film producer. He achieved great success in the industry, notably winning an Academy Award for Best Picture for his work on James Cameron’s Titanic (1997). Landau also received nominations for producing Cameron’s other successful films, Avatar (2009) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). It is worth mentioning that as of 2024, these three films remain among the top four highest-grossing films of all time.
| Born | July 23, 1960 New York City, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Died | July 5, 2024 (aged 63) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Education | University of Southern California |
| Occupation | Film producer |
| Years active | 1987–2024 |
| Spouse | Julie |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents |
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Early Life
Landau’s parents were Edie, a producer, and Ely A. Landau, a studio executive and producer. He had two half-brothers, Neil Landau and Les Landau, as well as two sisters, Tina Landau and Kathy Landau. Landau pursued his education at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. It is worth noting that Landau identified as Jewish.
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Career
Throughout the early 1990s, Landau served as the executive vice president of feature film production at Twentieth Century Fox. In 1993, he crossed paths with James Cameron while overseeing True Lies. Cameron managed to convince Landau to leave Fox and join his production company, Lightstorm.
Landau gained widespread recognition for producing Titanic in 1997, a film that not only won him an Academy Award but also became the highest-grossing film of all time, surpassing Jurassic Park. Titanic’s global earnings reached $2.18 billion, making it the second film to ever cross the $2 billion mark.
In 2009, Landau and James Cameron collaborated on the science fiction blockbuster Avatar, which outperformed Titanic to become the new highest-grossing film with $2.92 billion. This success earned Landau his second Academy Award nomination. Following Landau’s passing in July 2024, James Cameron paid tribute to him by acknowledging Landau as the heart of the Avatar family and the center of gravity of their creative universe.
Personal life
Death
Landau died at the age of 63 on July 5, 2024. 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
| This section does not cite any sources. (July 2024) |
- 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
| This section does not cite any sources. (July 2024) |
Producer
- Campus Man (1987)
- Titanic (1997)
- Solaris (2002)
- Avatar (2009)
- Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
- Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
- Avatar 3Â (2025)
- Avatar 4Â (2029)
Co-producer
- Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)
- Dick Tracy (1990)
