THR<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\u201cI worked with Jon Landau<\/strong> for 31 years and I never saw him downcast once,\u201d James<\/strong> went on. \u201cHe led with a balance of humor and fierce will, and true joy in the work. When I met him, he was the studio \u2018suit\u2019 assigned to oversee True Lies<\/em> in \u201993. In the midst of the logistical nightmare of that production we came to respect and enjoy each other. A bond forged in fire. I lured him away from Fox to join my production company, Lightstorm [Entertainment] and together we then tackled Titanic<\/em>, a production as ambitious and seemingly ill-fated as the ship itself. Jon<\/strong> bore the brunt of the studio pressure and gave his all to provide the time and resources for me to make the film I saw in my head. From that we became brothers in arms. We believed we could solve any production problem. The next mountain we climbed was Avatar<\/em>, a production that more resembled the Manhattan Project\u2026 making up new physics as we went along. Mastering a brand new methodology to tell stories. Again Jon<\/strong> gave his all, and never lost faith that we were doing something extraordinary and that we would somehow prevail. In the process we not only made a film, we forged a family. Jon<\/strong> was the heart of the Avatar family, with his humor, generosity and enormous capacity to make people feel valued and \u2018seen.\u2019 He gave everyone a sense of purpose and belonging. And this continued through the making of the sequels. It is impossible to convey how much our tight knit group will miss this man, this force of nature\u2026 the center of gravity of our little bubble universe. Jon<\/strong> created a community, a family, on Avatar<\/em> and at Lightstorm, but not at the expense of his own family, who were always his highest priority.\u201d<\/p>\nHe continued, \u201cJon<\/strong> was my right hand and I was his. In recent years we became a trapeze act\u2026 total interdependence, total trust, total synchronization. We became not only the closest of working partners, but the closest of friends. My last message to him was not only that I loved him but that I missed our daily dialogue. We would talk twenty times a day, usually in his office which he placed strategically between mine and the set. Solving every problem that came along. Jon<\/strong> had the strength to tell me when I was wrong, and I learned over the years to trust that he was right. Jon<\/strong> loved his work, and loved the people around him, the amazing team he had built. Every day was joyful battle, against entropy \u2014 the chaos that threatens to unravel every human endeavor. The center always held, under Jon<\/strong>\u2019s watchful eye. We fought through the pandemic together to deliver Avatar: The Way of Water<\/em>. Together, we thought we could solve anything. But you can\u2019t solve the fragility of life itself. I am grateful for every year, every day, every minute we had together. I am grateful for the belief he had in me and what his partnership allowed us to accomplish together. A part of myself has been torn away. But the amazing team he assembled and led still remains, and we will dedicate ourselves to fulfilling Jon<\/strong>\u2019s legacy. Not just the films yet to come, but the love and connection that binds the Avatar<\/em> and Lightstorm family together.\u201d<\/p>\nOur thoughts and condolences go out to Jon Landau<\/strong>\u2018s family and loved ones during this time. RIP.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n