We still haven’t let go, Jack.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Titanic and after all this time it’s left director, James Cameron and fans wanting more.
In 1997, filmmaker James Cameron, told the story of two star-crossed lovers who endure the most wretched pains aboard the ill-fated luxury steamship. For three and a half hours, we were catapulted back into the early 20th century and shown how class and status amongst the richest of the rich and the poorest souls, would either determine their survival or demise.
This year celebrates the quarter-centennial of the film which has since grossed over $1.84 billion since its initial release. In celebration of this milestone, Cameron decided to re-release the film just days before Valentine’s Day.
In an interview on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show, James Cameron said, “Well, I figured that I was probably not going to be around for the 50th anniversary, so why not celebrate the 25th anniversary? We re-released the film 10 years ago with the 3D conversion, quite successfully, and we thought, ‘OK, there’s another kind of half-generation of people that haven’t seen Titanic in a movie theater and maybe a bunch of nostalgia for, you know, amongst people that have seen it in a movie theater or have always wanted to.” The movie [Titanic] is “a celebration about love. It’s a celebration of the movie, at the same time. And it’s a celebration of the success of the movie as well.”
In December of 2022, Cameron released the sequel Avatar: Way of Water, the second installment to his 2009 hit, Avatar, which was primarily filmed underwater under the watchful eye of professional diving instructors. Like Titanic, Avatar has themes of loss, survival, and passion as the two main characters fight for what they want and deserve.
It comes as no surprise that Cameron is continuously trying to outdo himself, leaving other filmmakers in the dust of tantalizing box office numbers. Meanwhile, he relishes his steady and unshakable domination as the king of the box office. He’s already gotten the green light for the third and fourth installments of the Avatar series, the first of which is expected to be released in the winter of 2024.
In 2017, James Cameron sat with Rebecca Keegan for Vanity Fair, to speak about Titanic’s endearing legacy and, of course, his 21st-century reign with Avatar. Candidly speaking he said, “Let’s face it, if Avatar 2 and 3 don’t make enough money, there’s not going to be a 4 and 5. They’re fully encapsulated stories in and of themselves.” Thankfully, the second installment has been doing quite well, well enough that it’s been ranked as the fourth highest-grossing film of all time in just two months since its release in December.
Cameron isn’t just cranking out movies left and right. He has no problem creating sequels and installments in series’ that have already proven their worth to audiences all over the world. He creates a familiar passion and dedication to the stories he creates, which is why after 25 years, a global stampede of fans have decided to flock back to theaters to experience the story of Jack and Rose all over again.
This time in 3D 4K frame rate, which is expected to have an even more unique sound and visual quality that envelopes the audience into the movie itself. James Cameron’s beloved work will leave behind unforgettable treasures that will surely last a lifetime.