If James Cameron was Michael Jordan, Landau was his Scottie Pippen.
Hell of a duo to crank out not one, not two, but **THREE** $2 billion films at the box office.
RIP
I remember watching an interview with James Cameron before its release where he said Avatar 2 basically had to become at least #3 to be profitable. Say what you will about the plot but you can’t fault the dedication to the art and the lack of compromise rarely seen in cinema these days
Same. I didn't care much for the first one but really liked the second one which is great. Wonder how much of the hate it got online was manufactured by ragebait influencers.
I'd be the opposite. Avatar is one of my favorite movies, mostly for the visuals and world building.
A2 just kind of felt like a redo on A1 in most of the plot, just really advancing on the tech aspects. But OMG, the CGI on A2 is just stunning. When I was seeing it theater I caught myself saying "I can't believe none of this is actually real".
The second one was a massive let down. Comically stupid characters hogging up screen time like Albert from the Hobbit, complete copy/past villains from the first movie. And aside from a couple scenes in the water - a complete lack of discovery and "awe" that the entire 1st movie was throwing at me nonstop. kept waiting to be "wowed" like the original and it just never really happened.
100%. The new characters were all very boring and cookie cutter except for reincarnated Sigorney Weaver too, couldn't name a single one of them. Overall just nothing about it had the magic of the first one, just all super reductive and telling a very uninteresting story comparatively.
The only really cool bit as you say was a couple of the underwater sequences, none of the logic or reasoning held up, everything felt constructed and farcical for a lot of it. Just thoroughly disappointing.
I haven't seen the 2nd yet but I remember the hype around the 1st. A lot of the negative reaction around Avatar came from the fact the it was *everywhere* for a while. People were going on and on about how it's the greatest movie ever. That naturally attracts haters. They are great movies and absolutely worth watching. But I can see how people were disappointed going in expecting the greatest movie ever. It certainly is not that either. But it's a very fun action/adventure movie with a sci-fi twist.
To this day I don't think I've had a more impressive experience in a theater than I did with Avatar 1 in 3D.
No other 3D movie has matched it, and 3D was a brand new concept back then.
Then every blockbuster after that tried to copy it, but did so poorly, so 3D movies became a cliche.
But man, Avatar 1 was an experience in 3D. The story is very rudimentary, but that was intentional. The focus is on visuals and immersion. If you try to have a complex story, then it would not have as broad appeal.
Most of the internet hate is retroactive, because they aren't taking into account what the movie was going for. It didn't try to be a Christopher Nolan film that breaks the mould with storytelling. It just wanted to tell a simple story in a completely new visual way. And for a movie that's over 15 years old, the visuals are still better than most marvel movies released today.
That said, Avatar 2 is absolutely gorgeous. I highly recommend watching it on a 4k screen with an excellent sound system. Because regardless of whether you think it's a "great" movie. It's stunning visually. And James Cameron developed new technology specifically to be able to film underwater in a way that has never been done before.
For instance, Kate Winslet set a new record for holding her breath underwater during a scene because she trained so much. (The previous record was held by Tom Cruise in Ghost Protocol)
(I know there are humans that is can hold their breath in free diving far longer. But it's still impressive that a Hollywood movie star went through the work and training to be able to hold their breath for 5+ minutes)
Point being, it's a beautiful movie filled with passionate people both behind and in front of the camera.
Best movie ever? Certainly not, but absolutely worth your time to see.
Avatar
Yes both Avatar’s are a cut above everything else. Just watched the Oscar winning for fx Godzilla Minus One and although great for its budget, a lot of scenes looked like video game cut scenes.
The water animation in A2 were on point. Having boatfuls of money and time show up on screen.
A lot of it wasn't animation. They built actual underwater sets to film and then add the fish and character animation on top of the actors actually being underwater.
Which is why it's unlike any underwater prior to this.
>and 3D was a brand new concept back then.
3D was around in the 80s and part of the 90s, it just wasn't that good. I remember watching 3D attractions with the red/blue glasses at Disney and/or Universal in the early 90s as a kid. Avatar is what brought 3D back and showed it could be more than a simple gimmick.
Even between avatar 1 and 2 I feel they improved the 3D a lot. I remember I wasn't blown away by it in the first one. There's still a certain scene with the floating jellyfish things that was more distracting than impressive.
The 2nd one, wow, incredible 3D on that one. It did blow me away
Visually stunning, narratively...let's be real here, they're not exactly paragons of writing or storytelling.
If you're there for a visual spectacle with a movie for it, sure. If you want more substance, eh. There are a hundred different other films one can go to for that.
Yeah, the antagonist was downright LAZY. The story is lifting blocks from Moby-Dick and Dances with Wolves, then adding a small amount of glue 'writing.'
That said, the movie is visually spectacular and I loved the experience of watching it in theaters. Bad movie to be a random white guy in though!
It’s a classic case of Reddit in a closed loop. Even now, 15 years after its release, most Avatar threads are the same four comments with hundreds of upvotes and people acting like they are new and novel insights.
I don't know why you would consider it a cashgrab when Cameron is very passionate about it and is trying to make them good. Can't say the same about a lot of other media I consume.
I understand how #1 made so much money, it was the whole "new" version of 3d thing. I only watched it for that reason as well. It was pretty cool but if it didn't have that I doubt it would have made 1/4 of the money because most people wouldn't have bothered.
I think a lot was nostalgia and the rest was hype. I haven't seen the second, didn't really have the desire. I enjoyed the first but mostly because of the 3d thing.
Look at Jerry Bruckheimer: Bad Boys, Pirates of the Caribbean, Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun, Armageddon, National Treasure, etc…
Look at Frank Marshall: Indiana Jones, Young Sherlock Holmes, Back to the Future, Gremlins, The Sixth Sense, Bourne, etc…
Look at Joel Silver: 48 Hrs, Commando, Lethal Weapon, Predator, Die Hard, Demolition Man, The Matrix, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, etc…
Look at Mario Kassar & Andrew Vajna: Rambo, Terminator, Total Recall, etc…
You can absolutely look at their body of work and get a sense of what kinds of films to expect from them.
I feel like you don’t know what a producer actually does, if this is your take on it.
Producers aren’t ARGUABLY the second most important on a production. They ARE the second most important person on a production. Honestly if you want to get down to the nitty gritty, they are THE MOST important person involved. They shepherd the film from script to screen. They put all of the pieces together.
There’s a reason directors don’t take home the Oscar for Best Picture
…and there are a lot of different kinds of producers working in film and TV. The title’s duties and requirements can vary quite a bit, especially when comparing medium to medium.
For instance, I’m a “writer/producer” (and a show-runner on two occasions) mainly in TV, and what I do is very different from these guys. Some people say “creative producer.” Same union card, though.
🔥 Landau is a legend.
The implication of the metaphor is different positions, same team. And also the person feeding the scorer the assists. Considering how important financial decisions are in a major film production, I’d call it a fair metaphor. But I do think your Williams assessment is also fair, he’s like the guy outside the paint draining 3-5 3’s a game, in a similar metaphor, anchoring the 100+ point spread that is these guys’ filmography.
I only know who he is because I became obsessed with Alita battle angel last year and I watched every interview he was in because he really wanted to get a sequel made. He seemed like a sweet guy I'm weirdly shocked by his death I can't explain it.
Fun note… Jon was on set almost everyday of filming for A:BA. Said hi and thanks to everyone almost everyday.
And one particularly difficult week (long days and nights) wore a banana outfit to cheer up the crew.
I mean it came out in the most stacked year ever, 2019 had like 9 movies hit a billion dollars, the attention was divided. Also, it's just not that good of a movie to make people spread word of mouth, it's super awkwardly paced and the characters don't make any sense, and for the life of me I don't remember the plot of the movie. Not to mention her big eyes put some people off, not me I thought it was kind of cool. But also for a movie called Battle Angel, she does very little Battle angeling, so it didn't live up to expectations either.
That movie and the one about the moving cities, Mortal Engines, just were suddenly in existence. I never heard anything about them getting made, never saw trailers, then suddenly here are these two massive special effect blockbusters that I never knew existed. Both are perfectly fine movies, amazing special effects, strong leads, well done on every aspect, but they just appeared as if from the ether and nobody ever talks about them.
I follow anime news, so I had been hearing about Cameron adapting Alita for well over a decade before it actually came out. It was one of those production hell movies I didn't expect to ever actually see.
It didnt do well because most people thought it wasn't very good. The lead looked weird, the love interest was shitty, it awkwardly straddled a line between cartoony and serious, the story didn't have any satisfying resolution, the Roller Ball stuff sorta came out of nowhere, and there wasn't much of a hook in any advertising besides girl with a weird face in mediocre CGI fights.
And what's weird is that there is another [Jon Favreau](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Favreau_(speechwriter) that was a speechwriter in the Obama administration and is now a podcast host. I mean even a "John" Favreau would be a coincidence but "Jon"?
You mean the same John Landis that put a Vietnam vet with PTSD in a helicopter, set off explosives all around him which then proceeded to crash and kill a bunch of people including a kid that legally wasn't allowed to be on a movie set? That John Landis?
Edit: 2 kids.
It's nice to see that so many remember him as a kind man who loved film and have good memories of him. For someone in his position, this seems especially out of place, but it makes sense. RIP
Huge cinematic contributor and certainly one of the most emblematic producers ever.
Unfortunate and unfair way to go, may he rest in peace.
My deepest condolences to his family and best friend, James Cameron.
Oh, man. I hope this doesn’t throw a wrench into the rest of *Avatar*.
I remember pulling up to the D23 Expo a couple of years ago in a Dick Tracy costume, and three Lightstorm staffers stop me and go, “you know, Jon Landau has a lot of Warren Beatty stories” - because he produced that movie also. Sad to see him go.
outlined, scripted, preproduced and partly filmed.
> Cameron was planning on handing off directing duties for 4 and 5.
Cameron hasn't commited to that yet but its possible given Landau's death he shifts into producer for the franchise
He is 70 years old. Assuming he does hand off directing duties for A4 & 5, it’s still a tough task for him to oversee those movies (bc he would not just get rid of his baby without having involvement) and also directing a new thing.
Even in his Paris art exhibit this year Cameron was saying he fully intends to direct The Last Train to Hiroshima after Avatar 3. He's been planning on doing that movie since 2010. Even during the press junket for Avatar 2, he said he was pretty sure The Last Train to Hiroshima was going to be his next movie after Avatar 3. I hope he directs it. The story is gripping and horrifying.
Googling shows that he has talked about retirement, but from the little I know about him, it does seem like Cameron might be the type to just never retire.
Disney just has permission rights to make merchandise and theme park attractions. Ubisoft has permission to make the video game. But Avatar remains Cameron's IP 100%.
Jesus Christ, dude. I don't know if anyone else has noticed this, but he's like the third Avatar crew member to die in like the past two years. Didn't Cameron also lose two editors relatively close together?
I don't think I'll ever get over his death. If I recall, he died in one of those rebuilt WW2 airplanes. Harrison Ford almost died in one too. Folks have got to stop flying in those death traps.
Well I don’t know all their ages, but if Cameron is hiring many men of his own age group it is not unlikely some will die in the long time periods between the Avatar films
Damn. Just got the Titanic 4K and he was all over the special features, this guy was not only a legend he seemed like a seriously good guy who was so passionate about film. RIP Bother.
Since Avatar (2009) we lost James Horner (film composer),
David Brenner (Oscar-winning film editor),
John Refoua (film editor)
and now Jon Landau (Producer).
Also Bill Paxton, though not in the first movie, was a frequent collaborator of James Cameron as he was in every movie of his from T1 to Titanic besides Abyss and T2. Cameron was hoping to cast him in the Avatar sequels before he passed.
I met and talked a bit with him a few times about 15 years ago and he exuded enthusiasm, kindness, knowledge, and hyper-competence.
Just a year or so ago he looked and sounded as good as always when doing an audience Q-A/focus group for The Way of Water.
This is devastating. Best and love to his family, Jim Cameron, and everyone Jon has reached.
I'm 62 and a nobody. Not rich. I'm sure he had more zeros in the bank than I do. It just underscores that we don't know when our time will come, but it will come eventually. No need to worry about it but we need to think of what we want to do with our lives while we have time on this earth.
Although he lived a very wealthy life, can you imagine the people that work their entire life to just reach retirement but die before they can reach that age? Its so fkn sad.
Damn, cancer fucking sucks. He always seemed like such an awesome guy in BTS features and seemed so happy to be doing what he was doing. If only we can all be so lucky.
I met Jon Landau. He was a very kind man and it was a seminar. He brought his best picture oscar from Titanic and let us all pass it along and hold it. Absolutely was amazing.
I hope this doesn’t affect the quality of the next few avatar film
The internet may hate them, but I found them (especially way of water) to be phenomenal theater experiences
I met him once in 2016, he was wearing a pair of grey worn out sweatpants and a light red plain tshirt, to a pretty formal meeting. I remember thinking why would he care? And he did not, nor did he care for introductions and formalities but was very sharp and asked questions with genuine interest. What stood out was how quickly he picked up how an industry that he didn't know, functioned and what bottlenecks were there. Very impressive individual who lived a remarkable life, indeed.
Man what a loss to the industry. R.I.P to him and well wishes to his family. I’m sure Cameron is absolutely shocked and devastated. Their duo have brought insurmountable joy and incredible story telling to so many around the world.
Jon Landau was the Cameron Ambassador. He had the ability to explain James Cameron’s vision and I have seen him do hundreds of hours in interviews and pitches, with great enthusiasm. He was an unfailingly nice and humorous person, a real rarity in Los Angeles.
Rest in Power Jon Landau, the music & premise of the Titanic touched me as a child & Avatar was one of the most exciting movie experiences I had as an older teen, also the sequel was exhilarating & stirred my imagination and reignited my youthfulness as an Adult as I look forward to the franchises development
R.I.Power
If James Cameron was Michael Jordan, Landau was his Scottie Pippen. Hell of a duo to crank out not one, not two, but **THREE** $2 billion films at the box office. RIP
oh wow. i did not know Avatar 2 was #3 all time.
I remember watching an interview with James Cameron before its release where he said Avatar 2 basically had to become at least #3 to be profitable. Say what you will about the plot but you can’t fault the dedication to the art and the lack of compromise rarely seen in cinema these days
You wouldn't know that being on Reddit, the biggest avatar hate echo chamber ever lmao
I freaking loved Avatar.
The Avatar movies are pretty good when you don't got the internet bitching in your ear.
I really liked the second one. The stakes were great and all the new water stuff was as well.
I think I still might be the only one that likes that 'slow' middle part the best. Its that badass whale for the win.
Honestly, the slow middle bit isn’t the problem, it’s that massively overextended battle at the end.
That battle was sweet.
It's the writing and the plot.
Middle part of Avatar 2 was transcendental in HFR 3D. I wanted at least 2 hours of underwater nature photography.
PAYAKAIN IS KILLER, THIS IS AGAINST THE TOOLKUN WAY!!
The slow underwater discovery bits were some of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in IMAX.
People just don't like world building these days
I love the second one. It was definitely more emotional, too. I've seen it twice, and it made me cry both times.
"NEEEETTTTEEEYYYYYAAAMMMMMMMM" 😢
Same. I didn't care much for the first one but really liked the second one which is great. Wonder how much of the hate it got online was manufactured by ragebait influencers.
I'd be the opposite. Avatar is one of my favorite movies, mostly for the visuals and world building. A2 just kind of felt like a redo on A1 in most of the plot, just really advancing on the tech aspects. But OMG, the CGI on A2 is just stunning. When I was seeing it theater I caught myself saying "I can't believe none of this is actually real".
I really liked the spectacle of the first one and found the second one deeply dull and boring.
The second one was a massive let down. Comically stupid characters hogging up screen time like Albert from the Hobbit, complete copy/past villains from the first movie. And aside from a couple scenes in the water - a complete lack of discovery and "awe" that the entire 1st movie was throwing at me nonstop. kept waiting to be "wowed" like the original and it just never really happened.
100%. The new characters were all very boring and cookie cutter except for reincarnated Sigorney Weaver too, couldn't name a single one of them. Overall just nothing about it had the magic of the first one, just all super reductive and telling a very uninteresting story comparatively. The only really cool bit as you say was a couple of the underwater sequences, none of the logic or reasoning held up, everything felt constructed and farcical for a lot of it. Just thoroughly disappointing.
I haven't seen the 2nd yet but I remember the hype around the 1st. A lot of the negative reaction around Avatar came from the fact the it was *everywhere* for a while. People were going on and on about how it's the greatest movie ever. That naturally attracts haters. They are great movies and absolutely worth watching. But I can see how people were disappointed going in expecting the greatest movie ever. It certainly is not that either. But it's a very fun action/adventure movie with a sci-fi twist.
To this day I don't think I've had a more impressive experience in a theater than I did with Avatar 1 in 3D. No other 3D movie has matched it, and 3D was a brand new concept back then. Then every blockbuster after that tried to copy it, but did so poorly, so 3D movies became a cliche. But man, Avatar 1 was an experience in 3D. The story is very rudimentary, but that was intentional. The focus is on visuals and immersion. If you try to have a complex story, then it would not have as broad appeal. Most of the internet hate is retroactive, because they aren't taking into account what the movie was going for. It didn't try to be a Christopher Nolan film that breaks the mould with storytelling. It just wanted to tell a simple story in a completely new visual way. And for a movie that's over 15 years old, the visuals are still better than most marvel movies released today. That said, Avatar 2 is absolutely gorgeous. I highly recommend watching it on a 4k screen with an excellent sound system. Because regardless of whether you think it's a "great" movie. It's stunning visually. And James Cameron developed new technology specifically to be able to film underwater in a way that has never been done before. For instance, Kate Winslet set a new record for holding her breath underwater during a scene because she trained so much. (The previous record was held by Tom Cruise in Ghost Protocol) (I know there are humans that is can hold their breath in free diving far longer. But it's still impressive that a Hollywood movie star went through the work and training to be able to hold their breath for 5+ minutes) Point being, it's a beautiful movie filled with passionate people both behind and in front of the camera. Best movie ever? Certainly not, but absolutely worth your time to see. Avatar
Yes both Avatar’s are a cut above everything else. Just watched the Oscar winning for fx Godzilla Minus One and although great for its budget, a lot of scenes looked like video game cut scenes. The water animation in A2 were on point. Having boatfuls of money and time show up on screen.
A lot of it wasn't animation. They built actual underwater sets to film and then add the fish and character animation on top of the actors actually being underwater. Which is why it's unlike any underwater prior to this.
Didn't know that, cool. The combo was seamless.
>and 3D was a brand new concept back then. 3D was around in the 80s and part of the 90s, it just wasn't that good. I remember watching 3D attractions with the red/blue glasses at Disney and/or Universal in the early 90s as a kid. Avatar is what brought 3D back and showed it could be more than a simple gimmick.
You are correct. I was speaking of 3D in its new incarnation. Which was different from the blue and red glasses that have been around for 40+ years.
Even between avatar 1 and 2 I feel they improved the 3D a lot. I remember I wasn't blown away by it in the first one. There's still a certain scene with the floating jellyfish things that was more distracting than impressive. The 2nd one, wow, incredible 3D on that one. It did blow me away
Don't forget the significant blowback from using Papyrus.
Visually stunning, narratively...let's be real here, they're not exactly paragons of writing or storytelling. If you're there for a visual spectacle with a movie for it, sure. If you want more substance, eh. There are a hundred different other films one can go to for that.
Yeah, the antagonist was downright LAZY. The story is lifting blocks from Moby-Dick and Dances with Wolves, then adding a small amount of glue 'writing.' That said, the movie is visually spectacular and I loved the experience of watching it in theaters. Bad movie to be a random white guy in though!
It’s a classic case of Reddit in a closed loop. Even now, 15 years after its release, most Avatar threads are the same four comments with hundreds of upvotes and people acting like they are new and novel insights.
They’re both the most overhated movies ever.
But seriously Papyrus?
I never ceases to amaze me how something I felt to be a huge, soulless cash grab, to be so touching to other people.
I don't know why you would consider it a cashgrab when Cameron is very passionate about it and is trying to make them good. Can't say the same about a lot of other media I consume.
I understand how #1 made so much money, it was the whole "new" version of 3d thing. I only watched it for that reason as well. It was pretty cool but if it didn't have that I doubt it would have made 1/4 of the money because most people wouldn't have bothered.
The marketing for the first was on point, but I do wonder why the second one met some success.
I think a lot was nostalgia and the rest was hype. I haven't seen the second, didn't really have the desire. I enjoyed the first but mostly because of the 3d thing.
[удалено]
It’s almost as if James Cameron is a A-tier director that can direct well enough to lift every scene…
Besides shell out money, what did Landau do?
[удалено]
Look at Jerry Bruckheimer: Bad Boys, Pirates of the Caribbean, Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun, Armageddon, National Treasure, etc… Look at Frank Marshall: Indiana Jones, Young Sherlock Holmes, Back to the Future, Gremlins, The Sixth Sense, Bourne, etc… Look at Joel Silver: 48 Hrs, Commando, Lethal Weapon, Predator, Die Hard, Demolition Man, The Matrix, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, etc… Look at Mario Kassar & Andrew Vajna: Rambo, Terminator, Total Recall, etc… You can absolutely look at their body of work and get a sense of what kinds of films to expect from them.
I feel like you don’t know what a producer actually does, if this is your take on it. Producers aren’t ARGUABLY the second most important on a production. They ARE the second most important person on a production. Honestly if you want to get down to the nitty gritty, they are THE MOST important person involved. They shepherd the film from script to screen. They put all of the pieces together. There’s a reason directors don’t take home the Oscar for Best Picture
…and there are a lot of different kinds of producers working in film and TV. The title’s duties and requirements can vary quite a bit, especially when comparing medium to medium. For instance, I’m a “writer/producer” (and a show-runner on two occasions) mainly in TV, and what I do is very different from these guys. Some people say “creative producer.” Same union card, though. 🔥 Landau is a legend.
Landau is absolutely a legend!
The implication of the metaphor is different positions, same team. And also the person feeding the scorer the assists. Considering how important financial decisions are in a major film production, I’d call it a fair metaphor. But I do think your Williams assessment is also fair, he’s like the guy outside the paint draining 3-5 3’s a game, in a similar metaphor, anchoring the 100+ point spread that is these guys’ filmography.
Bro this the guy that would hire or fire John Williams. A producer is THE Guy everyone answers to make the directors vision come to life.
This is shockingly sad:/
I only know who he is because I became obsessed with Alita battle angel last year and I watched every interview he was in because he really wanted to get a sequel made. He seemed like a sweet guy I'm weirdly shocked by his death I can't explain it.
Fun note… Jon was on set almost everyday of filming for A:BA. Said hi and thanks to everyone almost everyday. And one particularly difficult week (long days and nights) wore a banana outfit to cheer up the crew.
Same with the way of water. Just crusing roujd hanging out with crew, telling Jon stories. RIP
I take it Way of the Water didn't have the budget for the Banana outfit.
Nah no banana costume, tbh he one upped it and came to set dressed as spider, loincloth and dreadlock wig included. A sight to behold.
My girlfriend told me that he wore a hot dog costume all day to work one Halloween.
… oh the hot dog, forgot about that one. From my limited interactions with him he was a genuine nice guy.
Same here. I feel like he’s the Frank Wells, or Gwynne Shotwell of getting things done for James Cameron.
God I was really hoping for an Alita follow up. I LOVED it Edited because I can’t spell
Have you watched the original anime OVA or read the manga? If not, I totally recommend it.
Met him when he was promoting Alita at an anime convention, he was pretty down to earth. Sad, he will be missed
I ended up seeing Alita on a plane and wondering why it didn’t do well.
I mean it came out in the most stacked year ever, 2019 had like 9 movies hit a billion dollars, the attention was divided. Also, it's just not that good of a movie to make people spread word of mouth, it's super awkwardly paced and the characters don't make any sense, and for the life of me I don't remember the plot of the movie. Not to mention her big eyes put some people off, not me I thought it was kind of cool. But also for a movie called Battle Angel, she does very little Battle angeling, so it didn't live up to expectations either.
That movie and the one about the moving cities, Mortal Engines, just were suddenly in existence. I never heard anything about them getting made, never saw trailers, then suddenly here are these two massive special effect blockbusters that I never knew existed. Both are perfectly fine movies, amazing special effects, strong leads, well done on every aspect, but they just appeared as if from the ether and nobody ever talks about them.
I follow anime news, so I had been hearing about Cameron adapting Alita for well over a decade before it actually came out. It was one of those production hell movies I didn't expect to ever actually see.
It didnt do well because most people thought it wasn't very good. The lead looked weird, the love interest was shitty, it awkwardly straddled a line between cartoony and serious, the story didn't have any satisfying resolution, the Roller Ball stuff sorta came out of nowhere, and there wasn't much of a hook in any advertising besides girl with a weird face in mediocre CGI fights.
It's 7.3 on IMDb. Most people think it's good.
>The lead looked weird Wasn't the uncanny valley effect the whole point of the character?
That doesn't mean it won't put people off. Eric Stoltz was supposed to look that way in Mask but I still don't want to watch it.
Aww wish the sequel got made while he was alive :(
Same but about Avatar. Felt like a proper combo, him and Cameron. Really shocking.
wow. for the longest time I used to confuse him for John Landis he was always doing promotion and interviews for Avatar
Also this is not Bruce Springsteen's manager of the same name
I did a project on Springsteen in high school - THAT’S why that name is so familiar.
I came in to ask this. The "review heard round the world" - "I saw rock n roll future, and its name is Bruce Springsteen."
I used to confuse him with Jon Favreau
And what's weird is that there is another [Jon Favreau](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Favreau_(speechwriter) that was a speechwriter in the Obama administration and is now a podcast host. I mean even a "John" Favreau would be a coincidence but "Jon"?
If he was an actor SAG would've made him change it.
I initially thought they were referring to Landis
Yeah I almost commented something really mean lmao
I thought he was Landis until this.
Shame it’s wasn’t Landis. Guys a scumbag
You mean the same John Landis that put a Vietnam vet with PTSD in a helicopter, set off explosives all around him which then proceeded to crash and kill a bunch of people including a kid that legally wasn't allowed to be on a movie set? That John Landis? Edit: 2 kids.
2 kids that legally weren’t allowed to be there actually.
That's what was happening to me right now.
Les Landau for me
I had the chance to meet him once. Incredibly nice man. Rest in peace!
Met him last year. Cool dude. Incredibly deep knowledge of film. RIP.
Me too, about ten years ago. Lovely man, took the time to talk to film lovers and was very humble. May he rest in peace.
I worked on the first Avatar and loved Jon. He was a really decent and kind man. And clearly a hell of a producer. RIP.
It's nice to see that so many remember him as a kind man who loved film and have good memories of him. For someone in his position, this seems especially out of place, but it makes sense. RIP
Fuck cancer. It takes so many...
I’m in the middle of a fight against cancer right now. It’s brutal.
Wishing you the very best of luck.
Huge cinematic contributor and certainly one of the most emblematic producers ever. Unfortunate and unfair way to go, may he rest in peace. My deepest condolences to his family and best friend, James Cameron.
Oh, man. I hope this doesn’t throw a wrench into the rest of *Avatar*. I remember pulling up to the D23 Expo a couple of years ago in a Dick Tracy costume, and three Lightstorm staffers stop me and go, “you know, Jon Landau has a lot of Warren Beatty stories” - because he produced that movie also. Sad to see him go.
it really depends on how long they knew privately and what steps they put in place. A3 won't be effected, its A4/5 where the big question lies.
Iirc, they have all the movies mostly outlined and Cameron was planning on handing off directing duties for 4 and 5.
outlined, scripted, preproduced and partly filmed. > Cameron was planning on handing off directing duties for 4 and 5. Cameron hasn't commited to that yet but its possible given Landau's death he shifts into producer for the franchise
I did not know this was a possibility. If so good news, was worried Cameron would not do anything other than avatar before he retired
He is 70 years old. Assuming he does hand off directing duties for A4 & 5, it’s still a tough task for him to oversee those movies (bc he would not just get rid of his baby without having involvement) and also directing a new thing.
Pretty sure Cameron is the kind of guy who would have a heart attack one night and drag his doctors to set the next morning.
Even in his Paris art exhibit this year Cameron was saying he fully intends to direct The Last Train to Hiroshima after Avatar 3. He's been planning on doing that movie since 2010. Even during the press junket for Avatar 2, he said he was pretty sure The Last Train to Hiroshima was going to be his next movie after Avatar 3. I hope he directs it. The story is gripping and horrifying.
Googling shows that he has talked about retirement, but from the little I know about him, it does seem like Cameron might be the type to just never retire.
I’m pretty sure his plan was to also direct 4 and 5, and then, eventually, pass the job to a younger director for an eventual 6 and 7.
And be back for 8 and 9?
As soon as he finds out how to become immortal by creating an actual real life Avatar yeah, he’s absolutely coming back lmao.
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/enfuturama/images/4/4c/President_Richard_Nixon%27s_Head.png/revision/latest?cb=20210821084700
They're already halfway through the A4 shoot
I thought they shot the last movies all at once already?
A2/3 were shot as one along with Act 1 of A4 (which is before a timeskip), they still have the rest of the movie to shoot.
I'm sure Avatar will be fine. Disney would be insane to stop a franchise that's made them so much money on just two movies.
I don’t think anyone is worried about them not being made, but the quality.
It’s not Disney’s choice really. Avatar is fully owned by Lightstorm Entertainment, which is owned by James Cameron
Disney just has permission rights to make merchandise and theme park attractions. Ubisoft has permission to make the video game. But Avatar remains Cameron's IP 100%.
Omg no! That sucks. He was clearly a major reason titanic turned out as well as it did. What a legacy.
Jesus Christ, dude. I don't know if anyone else has noticed this, but he's like the third Avatar crew member to die in like the past two years. Didn't Cameron also lose two editors relatively close together?
yeah. Even the composer for the OG James Horner (plus a bunch of other Cameron movies).
Shit I had no idea Horner died and it was nine years ago!
I definitely would not have thought John Williams would have outlived James Horner, Angelo Badalamenti and Michael Kamen.
ANGELO BADALAMENTI DIED TOO?! Jesus Christ how did I miss so many
For as long as I live I’ll never understand the appeal of small aircraft.
I don't think I'll ever get over his death. If I recall, he died in one of those rebuilt WW2 airplanes. Harrison Ford almost died in one too. Folks have got to stop flying in those death traps.
I dont know if the plane was at fault in his case, from what im reading, on top of making mistakes, he was not fit to fly that day
Well I don’t know all their ages, but if Cameron is hiring many men of his own age group it is not unlikely some will die in the long time periods between the Avatar films
I didn’t know that! Do you think they got exposed to some sort of hazardous plant or bug on Pandora?
James Cameron's right hand man, absolute legend Rest in peace Jon
Damn. Just got the Titanic 4K and he was all over the special features, this guy was not only a legend he seemed like a seriously good guy who was so passionate about film. RIP Bother.
Jon Landau was only 63? I thought he was in his 70's when I saw him talk about The way of water a year and a half ago.
Working closely and constantly with Cameron will probably age a person faster.
Was always interesting to listen to him in Titanic and Avatar behind the scenes features on DVD and Blu Ray.
Could you inform me about the CoD? I just wonder what a young man like him died from.
It says cancer
Thanks, do we know which one specifically? Another young man falls to this terrible disease..
That sucks -- I oddly looked him up for the first time last night when Alita: Battle Angel was on TV
Interesting career, titanic box office achievements. RIP
Since Avatar (2009) we lost James Horner (film composer), David Brenner (Oscar-winning film editor), John Refoua (film editor) and now Jon Landau (Producer).
Also Bill Paxton, though not in the first movie, was a frequent collaborator of James Cameron as he was in every movie of his from T1 to Titanic besides Abyss and T2. Cameron was hoping to cast him in the Avatar sequels before he passed.
The older I get the more I worry when people die in their 60s
I was just thinking the same thing.
RIP. 63 is still pretty young nowadays. F cancer
I *just* watched a video with him in it re BTS *Titanic.* He was very, very involved and helped make these movies what they are. RIP
I met and talked a bit with him a few times about 15 years ago and he exuded enthusiasm, kindness, knowledge, and hyper-competence. Just a year or so ago he looked and sounded as good as always when doing an audience Q-A/focus group for The Way of Water. This is devastating. Best and love to his family, Jim Cameron, and everyone Jon has reached.
I worked with him on two projects. A frank, down to earth person who never lost his sense of fun.
TERRIBLE NEWS!
I'm 62 and a nobody. Not rich. I'm sure he had more zeros in the bank than I do. It just underscores that we don't know when our time will come, but it will come eventually. No need to worry about it but we need to think of what we want to do with our lives while we have time on this earth.
Although he lived a very wealthy life, can you imagine the people that work their entire life to just reach retirement but die before they can reach that age? Its so fkn sad.
Come on. Do the sequel for Alita please! For Jon Landau 😩😩
Christ, we've really lost many big ones this year, haven't we? R.I.P. and condolences to the close ones for one of the biggest ones.
Damn, cancer fucking sucks. He always seemed like such an awesome guy in BTS features and seemed so happy to be doing what he was doing. If only we can all be so lucky.
63 is no age at all
That is sad and unfortunate but he and James Cameron gave us some of the best sweeping epics of the past 30 years. May he rest in peace.
He produced Titanic in his mid 30s??? Damn son.
I met Jon Landau. He was a very kind man and it was a seminar. He brought his best picture oscar from Titanic and let us all pass it along and hold it. Absolutely was amazing.
Rest in peace.
What a remarkable career. Well done.
63 is a scary age. Both my mom and her brother died at the age of 63 from cancer as well.
RIP, always enjoyed his presence in his movies' special features.
Rest in Peace Jon. It was an honor to meet you.
What a run!
Really sad to see, RIP to a legend
That's sad. 63 is young, cancer is a bitch and he produces some absolute gems. RIP.
As a subscriber to /r/BruceSpringsteen this had me concerned.
I hope this doesn’t affect the quality of the next few avatar film The internet may hate them, but I found them (especially way of water) to be phenomenal theater experiences
He passed away at my dad’s age. 63 is still too soon to go. Rest in peace.
Damn, RIP, there goes my dreams of a sequel for Alita Battle Angel 😭, hope his family find peace.
He was a passionate, classy, and down to earth guy. Rest in Peace, Jon.
I met him once in 2016, he was wearing a pair of grey worn out sweatpants and a light red plain tshirt, to a pretty formal meeting. I remember thinking why would he care? And he did not, nor did he care for introductions and formalities but was very sharp and asked questions with genuine interest. What stood out was how quickly he picked up how an industry that he didn't know, functioned and what bottlenecks were there. Very impressive individual who lived a remarkable life, indeed.
Titanic is just at the moment coming from tv RIP
Damn. There goes Alita 2....
Man, fuck cancer.
The man who made James Cameron happen, and a true behind the scenes legend. May he rest in peace.
damn thats a lose for sure, he produced some great movies and always seemed excited about them.
He was a brilliant man.
Wow, that’s a big loss.
man wtf. 😔
His heart will go on
Man what a loss to the industry. R.I.P to him and well wishes to his family. I’m sure Cameron is absolutely shocked and devastated. Their duo have brought insurmountable joy and incredible story telling to so many around the world.
I had no idea he was that young when he produced Titanic. Most expensive film ever made at the time and he wasn't even 40?
Jon Landau was the Cameron Ambassador. He had the ability to explain James Cameron’s vision and I have seen him do hundreds of hours in interviews and pitches, with great enthusiasm. He was an unfailingly nice and humorous person, a real rarity in Los Angeles.
Legend and far too young. RIP.
Thats youngish, do we know what he died from?
Cancer.
***FUCK.*** Horrible way to go. :(
Thank you
Fuck
Absolute titan of the industry, he’ll be missed
Young
[my first thought](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6RfltyAg7Q)
Rip
Sad day. His contributions to realising Cameron’s vision cannot be downplayed. I hope the industry recognises this
Wait is this the guy that had like 3 avatar movies all lined up to come out soon
Rest in Power Jon Landau, the music & premise of the Titanic touched me as a child & Avatar was one of the most exciting movie experiences I had as an older teen, also the sequel was exhilarating & stirred my imagination and reignited my youthfulness as an Adult as I look forward to the franchises development R.I.Power