In a tragic turn of events, Jon Landau, the esteemed producer and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment, has passed away at the age of 63. Landau, who was born in New York City, made a significant impact in the film industry as he produced several iconic movies in collaboration with James Cameron.

Landau's most notable works include the groundbreaking 1997 film Titanic, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. For a time, Titanic held the record for the highest-grossing film of all time until it was eventually surpassed by Cameron's 2009 masterpiece, Avatar, which Landau was also a producer for. In fact, Landau played a key role in producing three out of the five highest-grossing films in history: Avatar, Titanic, and the upcoming Avatar sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water.

Throughout his successful career, Landau worked closely with Cameron for an impressive 27 years, with their collaboration beginning on the set of Titanic in 1995. Prior to joining forces with Cameron, Landau served as the head of production at Fox.

In addition to his work on Titanic and Avatar, Landau's contributions extended to other notable projects such as Solaris, Alita: Battle Angel directed by Robert Rodriguez, as well as co-producing films such as Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Dick Tracy.

The news of Landau's untimely passing was first announced by his co-star from Titanic, Frances Fisher, who took to social media late last night to express her condolences. She simply wrote, "Rest in power, Jon." Additional details surrounding Landau's death have yet to be disclosed.

The film industry mourns the loss of Jon Landau, a visionary producer who played a crucial role in creating unforgettable cinematic experiences. His talents and dedication to his craft will be sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.

Stay tuned for further updates as more information becomes available.