Jon Landau

Jon Landau (; July 23, 1960 – July 5, 2024) was an American film producer. Best known for his collaborations with filmmaker James Cameron, he co-produced Cameron's Titanic—for which he won the Academy Award for Best Picture—as well as Cameron's Avatar film series (2009–2025). Titanic, Avatar (2009) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) are three of the four highest-grossing films of all time, with Avatar in the top spot. Landau's other notable credits include Solaris (2002) and Alita: Battle Angel (2019), both of which he produced alongside Cameron, as well as Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) and Dick Tracy (1990). His final film, Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) is dedicated to his memory.

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. His family moved to Brentwood during his junior year of high school, where he attended Brentwood School, graduating in 1978. He later returned to Brentwood School to coach Varsity Football before embarking on his movie career. He attended the USC School of Cinematic Arts, graduating in 1983. Landau was Jewish. In 1993, he would meet James Cameron while he was, as Cameron put it, "serving as the studio 'suit' assigned to oversee True Lies."

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 addition to producing Titanic, Landau also was responsible for building Baja Studios where the movie was filmed, in a record five months.

In 2009, Landau and Cameron produced the science fiction film Avatar, which has since surpassed their earlier collaboration, Titanic, to become the highest-grossing film of all time. Avatar earned Landau his second Academy Award nomination. Shortly after his death in July 2024, 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." They had two sons, Jamie and Jodie.

Landau died in Los Angeles on July 5, 2024, at the age of 63, after a 16-month battle with esophageal cancer. He had been diagnosed over a year prior to his death and chose to write a memoir as a result.

Accolades

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 Year Film Director Notes 1987 Campus Man Ron Casden Co-produced with Peggy Fowler 1989 Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Joe Johnston Also co-producer 1990 Dick Tracy Warren Beatty 1997 Titanic James Cameron Co-produced with James Cameron 2002 Solaris Steven Soderbergh Co-produced with James Cameron & Rae Sanchini 2009 Avatar James Cameron Co-produced with James Cameron 2019 Alita: Battle Angel Robert Rodriguez 2022 Avatar: The Way of Water James Cameron 2025 Avatar: Fire and Ash Posthumous release; Co-produced with James Cameron; Dedicated to his memory