That new study proving Jack had to die in Titanic? James Cameron funded it (to build hype before a Titanic re-release!)

In Avatar: The Way of Water, we saw director James Cameron revisit his Titanic roots, creating underwater disasters and action sequences. Never the one to move beyond his past work (he even hinted a franchise relaunch for Terminator recently), Cameron is yet again talking about Titanic. This time, he says that Jack could never have survived!

In case you forgot the 1997 epic romance, Titanic ends with Kate Winslet's Rose holding on to a wooden panel that can accommodate only one person to stay afloat. Leonardo DiCaprio's Jack makes the ultimate sacrifice by letting her go and dies of hypothermia.

Over the years, fans have argued that Jack's fate could have been avoided if he floated with Rose too. Such theories argue that the wooden panel had enough room for two but Cameron begs to differ. 

A new 'scientific study': And this time, the director has a 'study' to back his claims.

In an interview with The Toronto Sun, the Canadian filmmaker says that stunt performers and hypothermia experts re-created the tragic scene with the findings to be revealed in a National Geographic special to coincide with the re-release of Titanic next February. One would think some diehard fans of Titanic would have helped in this experiment but no, Cameron himself commissioned it!

The two stunt people involved are of the same body mass as Winslet and DiCaprio and had sensors fitted over and inside them as they took a dive in ice-cold water. And then to quote Cameron himself,

Now, rewind a little, and re-read this: '...to coincide with the re-release of Titanic next February'.

Yes. Titanic is getting (yet another) re-release! It seems that Cameron has serious issues with moving on, given how frequently he re-releases his films. Back in 2012, Cameron commemorated the centennial of the ship's sinking, Titanic was re-released (in 3D for some reason), earning an additional $340 million to its total gross, making it the second highest-grossing film after his own Avatar which had released three years earlier. 

Five years later, in 2017, Titanic received yet another re-release to mark the film's 20th anniversary.

The February 2023 re-release will be the fourth time Titanic sails to theatres!

(Spoiler alert: Jack still dies at the end)

But then again, Avatar itself has gone through four re-releases. When Avengers: Endgame overtook it as the highest-grossing film of all time, Cameron ensured that it re-released in China in 2021, retaking the number 1 spot. Now, with Titanic currently being the third highest-grosser, is the director planning to overtake his own films? Or maybe, he just wants to get some extra cash in case The Way of Water doesn't earn the expected returns at the box office?

How are people reacting to Cameron's new study? While "Jack could survive" has been a common theory in pop culture, people seem to be just too exhausted to care about Titanic anymore. The comments on Instagram and Twitter range from "In related news, James Cameron needs everyone’s attention at all times", to "He commissioned the study to finally silence those who dare question his narrative". 

There are also reactions that point to the belief that Jack could have survived no matter what science has to say. Others are just remarking on how it's all a waste of money.

Could Jack really survive? Apart from the speculation that the door had room for two, the Discovery show Mythbusters tried to apply more practical science to the debate. The titular experts called even James Cameron for a 2012 episode titled Titanic Survival.

Long story short, their conclusion was that the collective weight of Jack and Rose would have made the door sink. So, a probable solution would be to tie Rose's life jacket to the bottom of the board so as to ensure it stayed afloat. 

So, why is James Cameron revisiting the same theory again a decade later? Maybe, he's too insistent on proving that Jack had every reason to die while also defending Rose amid all the Internet hatred against her (after all, Rose is part of The Way of Water!). Whatever be the case, one thing is for sure: Cameron will be making millions as always. 

READ MORE: Avatar The Way of Water vs Avatar box office report: Rough waters ahead for the most expensive film ever