Landau is the son of Hollywood producers Eli and Eddie Landau, and once worked as an executive at 20th Century Fox, directing films such as The Last of the Mohicans and Die Hard 2.
He worked with Cameron on the 1997 hit Titanic, which became the first film to ever gross $1 billion at the global box office.
The sequels Avatar and Avatar: The Last of Us, released in 2009 and 2022, respectively, have since broken Titanic's record.
Landau also co-produced other popular films, including Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and Dick Tracy, and served in an executive capacity at Cameron's production company, Lightstorm Entertainment.
After news of Landau's death broke, Cameron told The Hollywood Reporter, “We have lost a great producer and a great human being.”
“John Landau believed in the dream of cinema. He believed that cinema was the ultimate human art form, and he said that to make a film, you had to first be human.”
“He will be remembered as much for his immense generosity of spirit as for the films themselves.”
Director Peter Jackson and his wife, screenwriter Fran Walsh, who worked on the visual effects for Avatar, said in a statement that they were “devastated by the death of John Landau.”
“John brought unparalleled passion to the projects he worked on and his influence will continue to inspire for years to come.”
Actress Zoe Saldanha, who starred in the Avatar films, said in a message to Landau on Instagram that his death was “a real shock.”
“Your wisdom and support have shaped many of us in ways we will always be grateful for.”
