Avatar Producer Jon Landau Dies At 63, James Cameron Offers Heartfelt Tribute

Jon Landau, who worked with filmmaker James Cameron for over 30 years, has died at the age of 63. The Academy Award-winning producer collaborated with the director on blockbuster movies like Titanic, Avatar, and Avatar: The Way of Water.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Landau had been battling cancer for the past 16 months. The producer died on July 5 in Los Angeles. Cameron said that “a part of myself has been torn away” on the official Avatar account on X (formerly known as Twitter) over the weekend.

“His zany humor, personal magnetism, great generosity of spirit, and fierce will have held the center of our Avatar universe for almost two decades,” Cameron wrote. “His legacy is not just the films he produced, but the personal example he set–indomitable, caring, inclusive, tireless, insightful, and utterly unique.”

Landau was working with Cameron on the continuation of the franchise, sharing a behind-the-scenes photo of Avatar 3 last year.

Cameron wasn’t the only notable figure to pay tribute to Landau, who also served as producer on movies like Solaris, Dick Tracy, and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Variety reports that Leonardo DiCaprio expressed his sympathies to Landau’s family, adding: “Jon was an incredibly kind, wise, and empathetic soul, who wanted to create nothing but a positive impact on anyone or anything approached.”

On Instagram, Avatar star Zoe Saldana offered her own tribute to Landau. “The memories we shared together will always hold a special place in my heart,” the actress wrote. “Your legacy will continue to inspire us and guide us in our journey.”

Landau first met Cameron as a 20th Century Fox executive overseeing True Lies. The duo continued working together in the decades since, with Landau landing an Oscar for his work on Titanic.