Veteran movie government Invoice Mechanic shares some recollections about producer Jon Landau, who died on July 5 on the age of 63, and the experiences they shared throughout the making of James Cameron’s 1997 epic Titanic, which was backed by Fox Filmed Leisure when Mechanic was that firm’s chairman and CEO.
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I all the time checked out Jon as a born movie particular person. His dad and mom, Ely and Edie, had been revered producers, and he knew all the things there was to find out about film manufacturing.
After I joined Fox, Jon was the pinnacle of manufacturing, that means he oversaw each movie we produced from the studio’s viewpoint. It was a shock — and a loss — for us when he left the studio to supply Titanic. But it surely was additionally nice understanding that we’d have somebody so educated engaged on a film that promised to be as bold as Jim’s image.
Nobody might have foreseen the difficulties that lay forward with that movie, however even on the hardest moments, Jon was somebody we completely trusted. When there have been arguments about easy methods to forge by to completion, he arbitrated — to the diploma anybody might — between the manufacturing and the studio, and once more made it simpler as a result of each side trusted that each greenback was being spent was within the pursuits of delivering one thing particular.
Reflecting again on that point, these of us closest to the movie believed it had an opportunity to turn out to be not solely successful, however one thing actually nice. There have been, nonetheless, no assurances. The stress stage was off the charts, and there was no query it weighed closely on Jon. However he by no means misplaced his humorousness or decency, as a result of he was a soldier. He remained assured and constructive, whatever the second, and he knew his craft.
All of us had a troublesome journey, nevertheless it’s a press release of how good Jon was that each the studio and the manufacturing felt he was the proper particular person for the job. That film required a lion, and he proved he might roar.
James Cameron, Zoe Saldaña, Alan Bergman, Peter Jackson and Avatar: The Means of Water solid and crewmembers are amongst these in Hollywood paying tribute to Jon Landau, who died Friday at 63.
Landau was an Oscar-winning producer, most identified for his collaborations with Cameron on blockbuster movies together with Titanic and the Avatar franchise. His different credit embrace Alita: Battle Angel, Solaris and Honey, I Shrunk theYoungsters.
Cameron remembered his longtime good friend in a press release to The Hollywood Reporter, writing, “An amazing producer and an ideal human being has left us. Jon Landau believed within the dream of cinema. He believed that movie is the final word human artwork kind, and to make movies you need to first be human your self. He might be remembered as a lot for his huge generosity of spirit as for the flicks themselves.”
“I labored with Jon Landau for 31 years and I by no means noticed him downcast as soon as,” the filmmaker added. “He led with a steadiness of humor and fierce will, and true pleasure within the work. Once I met him, he was the studio ‘swimsuit’ assigned to supervise True Lies in ’93. Within the midst of the logistical nightmare of that manufacturing we got here to respect and revel in one another. A bond cast in hearth. I lured him away from Fox to hitch my manufacturing firm, Lightstorm and collectively we then tackled Titanic, a manufacturing as formidable and seemingly ill-fated because the ship itself. Jon bore the brunt of the studio stress and gave his all to supply the time and sources for me to make the movie I noticed in my head. From that we grew to become brothers in arms. We believed we might resolve any manufacturing downside. The subsequent mountain we climbed was Avatar, a manufacturing that extra resembled the Manhattan Mission… making up new physics as we went alongside. Mastering a model new methodology to inform tales. Once more Jon gave his all, and by no means misplaced religion that we have been doing one thing extraordinary and that we might by some means prevail. Within the course of we not solely made a movie, we cast a household. Jon was the center of the Avatar household, together with his humor, generosity and large capability to make individuals really feel valued and ‘seen.’ He gave everybody a way of goal and belonging. And this continued by means of the making of the sequels. It’s not possible to convey how a lot our tight knit group will miss this man, this power of nature… the middle of gravity of our little bubble universe. Jon created a neighborhood, a household, on Avatar and at Lightstorm, however not on the expense of his family, who have been at all times his highest precedence.”
Cameron continued in his heartfelt tribute, “Jon was my proper hand and I used to be his. Lately we grew to become a trapeze act… complete interdependence, complete belief, complete synchronization. We grew to become not solely the closest of working companions, however the closest of pals. My final message to him was not solely that I beloved him however that I missed our each day dialogue. We’d speak twenty instances a day, normally in his workplace which he positioned strategically between mine and the set. Fixing each downside that got here alongside. Jon had the energy to inform me once I was fallacious, and I discovered over time to belief that he was proper. Jon beloved his work, and beloved the individuals round him, the superb crew he had constructed. Day by day was joyful battle, towards entropy — the chaos that threatens to unravel each human endeavor. The middle at all times held, below Jon’s watchful eye. We fought by means of the pandemic collectively to ship Avatar: The Means of Water. Collectively, we thought we might resolve something. However you possibly can’t resolve the fragility of life itself. I’m grateful for yearly, daily, each minute we had collectively. I’m grateful for the assumption he had in me and what his partnership allowed us to perform collectively. Part of myself has been torn away. However the superb crew he assembled and led nonetheless stays, and we’ll dedicate ourselves to fulfilling Jon’s legacy. Not simply the movies but to come back, however the love and connection that binds the Avatar and Lightstorm household collectively.”
Saldaña, who starred in 2009’s Avatar and 2022’s Avatar: The Means of Water, additionally wrote in a tribute on Instagram following the information of his demise, “Phrases are onerous to place collectively proper now, your passing is hitting actually onerous. You might be leaving us too quickly, my ideas are with you and your loved ones proper now. Your knowledge and help formed so many people in methods we’ll at all times be pleased about. The recollections we shared collectively will at all times maintain a particular place in my coronary heart. Your legacy will proceed to encourage us and information us in our journey. Relaxation in peace, expensive Jon. You’ll be deeply missed.”
Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Leisure, shared in a press release, “Jon was a visionary whose extraordinary expertise and keenness introduced a number of the most unforgettable tales to life on the large display. His outstanding contributions to the movie business have left an indelible mark, and he might be profoundly missed. He was an iconic and profitable producer but a fair higher individual and a real power of nature who impressed throughout him.”
Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson and screenwriter Fran Walsh, whose digital visible results and animation firm Wētā FX labored with Landau on the Avatar movies, additionally remembered the producer in a joint assertion shared with THR.
“We converse for all the Wētā FX crew after we say we’re devastated by the lack of Jon Landau,” they wrote. “Jon was not solely a monumental determine within the movie business but in addition a cherished collaborator and good friend. Jon introduced unparalleled ardour to the tasks he labored on and his affect will proceed to encourage for years to come back. Our deepest condolences are with Jon’s household and family members, in addition to Jim and the Lightstorm Leisure crew.”
Joe Letteri, who received the perfect achievement in visible results Oscar for his work on Avatar and Avatar: The Means of Water, paid tribute to Landau, writing in a press release, “I’m heartbroken on the lack of our good friend Jon Landau. He was a tremendous and beneficiant man, and a world-class movie maker who leaves a legacy that may final for generations. On behalf of all of us at Wētā FX, it was an honor to work beside him. His dedication to the artwork of movie making impressed us daily. Our ideas are together with his household and family members.”
Learn extra tributes under.
“The Avatar household grieves the lack of our good friend and chief, Jon Landau. His zany humor, private magnetism, nice generosity of spirit and fierce can have held the middle of our Avatar universe for nearly twenty years. His legacy is not only the movies he produced, however the… pic.twitter.com/fsR77qHoO2
Relaxation in Peace Jon Landau. Jon was the manufacturing companion for the legendary James Cameron, and produced extremely profitable films like Avatar (1 and a couple of), Titanic, True Lies and Die Arduous amongst many others. A very fantastic man, we misplaced him in the present day, on the way-too-young age of 63. pic.twitter.com/RvxhppVUvA
James Cameron’s producer companion, Jon Landau, has adopted Large Jim to the underside of the ocean and throughout the galaxy. Now, @jonlandau, has gone on an journey Cameron can’t be a part of him on:
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