While James Cameron's current box office behemoth Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) continues to steamroll all the competition, another one of his epic films will yank that spotlight pretty soon. One of the most memorable tragic love stories to ever grace the big screen, Titanic (1997), is set to come back to theaters for a limited time starting Feb. 10 to celebrate the film's 25th anniversary. While it may seem rather obvious why Cameron chose the weekend before Valentine's Day for its re-release, in an interview with Sirius XM's The Jess Cagle Show, the director says there's more to it than love.
Cameron discussed all the reasons why he wanted to bring arguably his most beloved film back to theaters in February rather than near its original release in December 1997. Not only did he want to give audiences of any age who haven't yet seen Titanic a chance to see it on the big screen, but it's also for those who have and who want a peak nostalgia experience. As to the actual reasons for the chosen re-release date of Feb. 10, Cameron remarked:
"Well, the date that made sense to me was Valentine's Day, because in the original release, which was 1997 into 1998, we came out a few days before Christmas. I think it was [December 19]. But the highest-grossing single day of the release was Valentine's Day...Kind of obvious why, but very unusual for a film that's been in the marketplace for two months to have its biggest single performing day. So it's a celebration of 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."
So not only was the choice out of love, but a practical one that marks when the film was its most successful at the box office.
Titanic Remains the Cinematic Pinnacle of Tragic Love Stories
Titanic was a monumental undertaking for James Cameron, which essentially put his career and reputation on the line. It was the perfect blend of a historical retelling and fictional romance on a scale that will likely never be replicated again. Not only did it bring a wave of newfound interest into the history of the actual R.M.S. Titanic, but the film also skyrocketed young actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet into stardom. The two played fictional characters, Jack Dawson and Rose Dewitt Bukater. Jack is a young artist, and 3rd class passenger who happens upon 1st class socialite Rose one night aboard the ship and saves her from an attempted suicide. Over time, the two fall deeply in love, but when the ship is fatally struck by an iceberg and sinks into the Atlantic, Jack and Rose scramble to save each other from the inevitable.
The film made Jack and Rose the most famous on-screen couple in the world, and young actor Leonardo DiCaprio the biggest teen heartthrob on the front of every magazine. Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," which was written for the film, remains one of the most recognizable love songs in music. Some of the film's most memorable scenes have been parodied countless times, and some argue that the love story was too unrealistic, cheesy, and its tragic end remains one of the most disputed scenes in film history(which Cameron himself finally debunked). However, the strength of Jack and Rose's love has stood the test of time and has since kept Titanic as the 3rd highest-grossing film of all time.