8 The late Hollywood producer gives readers behind-the-scenes glimpses into some of the highest-grossing movies in history with life lessons along the way. A Masterclass In Life And Hollywood From Blockbuster Producer Jon Landau By Luis Polanco The American movie producer Jon Landau (1963-2024) had the diligence and luck to produce three of the four highest-grossing films of all time: Titanic (1997), Avatar (2009), and Avatar: Way of Water (2022), all three of which he worked on with longtime collaborator, the filmmaker James Cameron. In his career as a producer, Landau also produced Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (1989) and Solaris (2002), among others. In the last 16 months of his life, he faced esophageal cancer, co-produced the latest Avatar: Fire and Ash, and wrote a memoir, The Bigger Picture: My Blockbuster Life & Lessons Learned Along The Way (272 pgs., Hyperion Avenue, 2025, $28.99). Kicked off with a foreword by Cameron, The Bigger Picture begins with Landau’s ambition to take stock of his life when faced with a life-threatening condition. His memoir begins in the spirit of gratitude, compassion, and enjoyment at having lived a life full of family, friendship, and entertainment. In this spirit, The Bigger Picture is both a memoir and a how-to guide, in which Landau shares his lessons from Hollywood, as well as career dos and don’ts. As a kid, Landau was dubbed “Jonny the Jock,” but he also had a passion for movies that sprung from his parents Ely and Edie’s careers in producing films. The Landaus produced The Madwoman of Chaillot starring Katherine Hepburn and the Oscar-nominated King: A Filmed Record… Montgomery to Memphis, a documentary directed by Sidney Lumet and Joseph L. Mankiewicz about the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., whose children would join Landau and his siblings on family outings. Every summer, his parents would host a private film festival that they called the Annual Landau Movie Orgy, where they screened movies like The Grapes of Wrath and Mary Poppins. From Riverdale in the Bronx, the Landaus moved to Brentwood in Los Angeles. After arriving, Jon Landau would apply to the film program at the University of Southern California. Landau ultimately didn’t end up graduating due to his father suffering a stroke. From there on, he would propel his own career in Hollywood. After leaving his role as an executive vice president in feature film production at Fox in 1995, Landau was offered three different producing jobs — Warren Beatty’s Bulworth, Michael Mann’s Flight of the Phoenix, or James Cameron’s Titanic. He took the third option. With Titanic, Landau recounts the challenge of finding a location where they could build a ship and where they could create an accompanying ocean. He found the space in Rosarito, Mexico. From this section of the memoir, he also shares casting gossip (the studio had wanted Matthew McConaughey, but his stubborn cockiness ultimately made the young Leonardo DiCaprio the right choice). He also helps readers understand the sometimes fraught dance between director and producer. Recalling how he built a rapport with Cameron, he says, “I was able to win Jim’s trust and convince him that it was to his advantage to have me close. I was another set of eyes and ears for him, not someone with an agenda of my own.” For Landau, the team was central. Landau walks readers through the process of getting Avatar made: getting the right motion capture technology (Landau prefers the term “performance capture”), getting the financing in order, and finding the right cast that in the end would include Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, and Sigourney Weaver, among others. At various times in the memoir, Landau self-identifies as a problem-solver and teambuilder, and readers can see these qualities play out in behind-the-scenes anecdotes from the movie. For example, Landau recounts one heated argument between him and director Cameron, who had wanted to fire the cinematographer. Landau’s levelheaded and diplomatic poise managed to retain the cinematographer while accomplishing Cameron’s goals for the movie. While Avatar did less well critically than Titanic, which received 11 Academy Awards, the critical reception leads Landau to muse as to what’s more important, awards or box office? He writes, “[I]f forced to choose, I’d choose the box office. It means millions of moviegoers are connecting to the work. That is the real prize—reaching people looking to be transported, to escape, to find hope in the embrace of a darkened theater.” The Bigger Picture concludes with the last years of Landau’s life. He chronicles the surgeries and hospital visits. Here, he reflects on the trajectory of his life and career, and up until the last pages, he continues to give advice to aspiring filmmakers. In his foreword, Cameron touches on the overall message of the book while commemorating Landau himself. He writes, “To make films that touch people around the world, they must have heart. And to do that, you must have heart yourself, and live not only with single-minded purpose, but with respect and love for those around you.” “To make films that touch people around the world, they must have heart. And to do that, you must have heart yourself.” VIDEOAGE May 2026 Book Review
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI4OTA5