He Produced Three of the Biggest Films of All Time

Jon Landau, an Oscar-winning producer who worked closely with director James Cameron on three of the biggest blockbusters of all time—Titanic and two Avatar films—has died at age 63, per the AP. Landau's family announced his death Saturday. No cause of death was given, but Deadline notes he had been battling cancer. Landau's partnership with Cameron led to three Oscar nominations and a best picture win for 1997's Titanic. The hit films Avatar and sequel Avatar: The Way of Water later added to their success.

Landau's career began in the 1980s as a production manager, and he gradually rose through the ranks, serving as a co-producer on Honey I Shrunk the Kids and Dick Tracy. He took on the producer role on Titanic, Cameron's expensive epic about the infamous 1912 maritime disaster. The bet paid off: Titanic became the first movie to cross $1 billion in global box-office earnings and went on to win 11 Oscars, including best picture. "I can't act and I can't compose and I can't 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. In 2009 the pair watched as Avatar, a sci-fi epic filmed and shown in theaters with groundbreaking 3D technology, surpassed the box-office success of Titanic. It remains the top-grossing film of all time. Its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, is third on the list. (Titanic has fallen to No. 4, with an Avengers film in the No. 2 spot, per Variety.)

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Born in New York on July 23, 1960, Landau was the son of film producers Ely and Edie Landau. The family moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s, and Landau went on to graduate from the University of Southern California's film school. "Jon was a visionary whose extraordinary talent and passion brought some of the most unforgettable stories to life on the big screen," said Alan Bergman, Disney Entertainment co-chairman, in a statement. "He was an iconic and successful producer yet an even better person." (Read other notable obituaries.)