Titanic’s Kate Winslet, Avatar’s Zoe Saldaña And James Cameron Pay Tribute To Producer Jon Landau: ‘Words Are Hard To Put Together Right Now’

Hollywood lost an incredibly influential figure this weekend. Jon Landau, the successful producer best known for his collaborations with director James Cameron, passed away. It was reported that Landau died at 63 following a battle with cancer. Since news of his death broke, a plethora of fans have taken to social media to memorialize the late filmmaker. Now, a number of his collaborators are paying tribute as well. Not only did Cameron himself share some remarks, but Titanic ’s Kate Winslet and Avatar ’s Zoe Saldaña did as well.

Kate Winslet notably worked alongside Jon Landau and many others behind the scenes on Titanic , the Oscar-winning 1997 drama that became the highest grossing film of all time. It also brought immense fame for Winslet , who played the role of Rose DeWitt Bukater. Upon learning of Landau’s passing, the actress sent a statement to Deadline in which she shared her remembrances of her late collaborator. While speaking with the trade, the actress noted that she’d been acquainted with the filmmaker “since I was 20 years old.” Winslet lauded Landau as a creative force, saying that “his passion for filmmaking only deepened with age.” She also added the following sentiments:

Years after working on the historical drama, Kate Winslet and the Campus Man producer would reteam for 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water . That film climbed box office charts to become the third highest grossing film of all time. Another person who worked with them on that movie was, of course, Zoe Saldaña. She played the role of Neytiri in the first two films in the series and was working with the deceased filmmaker again on the forthcoming Avatar 3 and its sequels. Saldaña took to Instagram and paid tribute by sharing a number of photos of her late colleague and she penned a very sweet message in his honor:

Adding to the chorus of praise for Jon Landau was his good buddy, James Cameron. The Academy Award-winning director shared a statement with Deadline and, with it, he discussed Landau’s legacy. Cameron not only highlighted the former Twentieth Century Fox exec’s legacy but he also spoke to his character as a human being:

The late Honey, I Shrunk the Kids producer did indeed contribute to “great films,” and his love of the medium was downright electric. Those who followed him on social media surely know just how enthusiastic he was about his work. He was more than game for the “epic undertaking” of making several more Avatar sequels and didn’t mind debunking rumors like that threequel title assumption. Needless to say, this was a man who loved and respected movies, and the industry is a poorer place for not having him.

Jon Landau’s loss is certainly tremendous, but it’s nothing short of lovely to see so many people giving him his flowers. If anything, Kate Winslet, Zoe Saldaña and James Cameron’s sentiments represent just how many Landau touched people’s lives during his time on earth. He is indeed gone, but he will surely not be forgotten. And we here at CinemaBlend continue to extend our thoughts to Landau’s loved ones during this time.