It's the film debate which still rages on 25 years later - could Leonardo DiCaprio's Jack have fit on the door with Kate Winslet's Rose and survived the end of Titanic?

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Well, in an interview to promote Avatar: The Way of Water, the film's director James Cameron has (seemingly) finally put the matter to bed - he is insistent it would not have been possible for them both to survive.

Cameron said in an interview with Postmedia: "We have done a scientific study to put this whole thing to rest and drive a stake through its heart once and for all.

"We have since done a thorough forensic analysis with a hypothermia expert who reproduced the raft from the movie and we’re going to do a little special on it that comes out in February."

Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in Titanic.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in Titanic. 20th Century Fox

He continued: "We took two stunt people who were the same body mass of Kate and Leo and we put sensors all over them and inside them and we put them in ice water and we tested to see whether they could have survived through a variety of methods and the answer was, there was no way they both could have survived. Only one could survive."

Asked whether he wished he had given Jack a happy ending, Cameron said: "No, he needed to die. It’s like Romeo and Juliet. It’s a movie about love and sacrifice and mortality. The love is measured by the sacrifice."

It was announced earlier this year that Titanic would return to cinemas in 2023, with a remastered version of the film being released to celebrate the film's 25th anniversary.

Meanwhile, Cameron's latest film Avatar: The Way of Water has now been released in cinemas worldwide, with the cast already teasing the future sequels which are set to release in 2024, 2026 and 2028 respectively when speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com.

Titanic is available on Sky Story now. Avatar: The Way of Water is showing in UK cinemas now and the original Avatar is available to view on Disney Plus – you can sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 for a year now.

Check out more of our Film coverage or find something to watch now with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.

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Authors

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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