Oscar-winning producer and former Florida Keys resident Jon Landau helped captivate a global audience, from the 1997 film “Titanic” to the recent science-fiction thrillers “Avatar” and “Avatar: Way of the Water.”
He even featured a bit of the Florida Keys’ Seven Mile Bridge in the 1994 action comedy “True Lies,” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis and Tom Arnold.
Landau passed away on July 5 at the age of 63. His death was announced by Alan Bergman, co-chairman for Disney Entertainment.
“Jon was a visionary whose extraordinary talent and passion brought some of the most unforgettable stories to life on the big screen,” Bergman said in a statement.
Landau and his wife, Julie, lived at the lushly-landscaped Bali Hai property on the Old Highway in Islamorada before selling it in 2022.
While his productions on the big screen brought accolades and box office records, many Keys residents who came to know Landau remember his many generous acts within the local community. And he wasn’t looking for awards or attention.
“Everyone should know how much Jon Landau loved the Florida Keys and the people who live here,” said Jennifer McComb, president and CEO for the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys (CFFK).
After Hurricane Irma and during the COVID pandemic, McComb said, Jon and Julie were genuinely concerned for Keys residents and families in need and how to get them money so they could buy whatever they needed most. Following Hurricane Irma in 2017, the Landaus sprang into action to assist the island chain with the Landau Family Hurricane Relief Fund in the Upper Keys. With help from CFFK, grants were given to businesses and residents in need to rebuild and recover. Together with CFFK’s Emergency Relief Fund, more than $1.4 million was raised and distributed for Irma recovery in the Keys.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jon and Julie created the Landau Family COVID-19 Food Fund to help residents in need. The fund complemented CFFK’s Florida Keys Emergency Relief Fund, which provided aid through Keys nonprofits to families, seniors, service workers and others who were out of work and affected by COVID-19’s economic impacts.
With help from CFFK and fellow friends, the Landaus granted more than $315,000 to help Upper Keys residents following Irma and after the pandemic.
“What makes the Keys so special is the community of people that call this island chain their home,” Landau said in April 2020.
McComb said she remembers inviting Jon to a foundation board meeting in which he showed up in a T-shirt as he chatted with the board like old friends.
“This was pure Jon — accessible, genuine and without airs,” McComb said. “Throughout my career, I’ve worked with lots of individuals blessed with fortune and fame. Jon stood out for his remarkable humility, sincerity and being just so crazy unpretentious.”
Jon and Julie were also heavily involved in the academic realm, having launched a scholarship program in the graphic and performing arts for graduating Coral Shores students. The Landaus heard about the Upper Keys Rotary Foundation’s scholarship program and partnered to take advantage of the Rotary’s detailed selection process. The award, which helped students attend prestigious schools for dance, video production and film making, was a four-year scholarship with a significant amount paid every year, if justified by the student’s school record.
“When we found scholarship applicants from Coral Shores interested in performing or
graphic arts, we asked the student to create an audition video. We sent that, along with the full application, to Jon and Julie and they were delighted in selecting a special scholarship student,” said Tricia Hynes, Upper Keys Rotary Foundation member.
Inside the classroom, Jon went above and beyond to get students excited about the filmmaking industry. Michele Thiery, video production teacher, said Landau gave her all kinds of materials from the 2019 action sci-fi film “Alita Battle Angel.” From New Zealand, he woke up at 4 a.m. to virtually meet the students.
“Jon also offered many opportunities,” Thiery said. “He did a premiere of ‘Alita Battle Angel’ with the students. Then as a surprise, he brought in Rosa Salazar, lead actress, and Robert Rodriguez, the director, for a question-and-answer session with my students.”
Landau also afforded students the opportunity to visit his production company at the Manhattan Beach Studio, tour Fox Studios and meet the art department for “Avatar.”
Jon Landau loved all things Islamorada and was a huge supporter of the Islamorada Chamber’s events, especially Holiday Fest and Island Fest. Judy Hull, executive director for the Islamorada Chamber, said he was not only generous with his monetary support, but he also actively contributed ideas and always expressed his love for these events which brought out the community spirit.
“After Hurricane Irma, Jon was the very first person to call, asking what he could do and how he could help,” Hull said.
The Landaus also supported Baptist Health South Florida’s Mariners Hospital as a foundation giving member dating back to 2011. Wendy Gentes, Baptist Health Foundation’s assistant vice chair and chief development office, said Landau was passionate about delivering high-quality healthcare to community members.
“Jon Landau was an exceptionally talented person with a generous spirit that knew no bounds,” Gentes said.
The Landaus also supported Habitat for Humanity of the Upper Keys, Upper Keys Humane Society and the Florida Keys History & Discovery Center (FKHDC) in Islamorada. Jon designed the FKHDC’s educational theater and headed a committee to select the company to build and equip the facility.
“Jon was so generous with his time, talent and treasure. He was so humble and unpretentious. He personified the term, ‘difference maker,’” FKHDC stated in a Facebook post.
A cause of death wasn’t immediately announced.
