How James Cameron Pitched Titanic to 20th Century Fox

James Cameron's hardest pitch to a film studio was also the shortest.

James Cameron brought along Ken Marschall's "Titanic: An Illustrated History" (above) to his pitch at Fox.

James Cameron was deeply inspired.

After creating several of the most beloved action movies of the early 1990s, he'd been deeply inspired by the emotion of seeing the wreckage of the Titanic, in Al Giddings' documentary. He knew this had the potential to be much, much bigger.

When he arrived at Peter Chernin's office to pitch the idea to 20th Century Fox, he was greeted with skepticism at first, as told in Episode 7 of BLOCKBUSTER: THE STORY OF JAMES CAMERON — the award-winning "biopic podcast" series, starring The Walking Dead's Ross Marquand, from filmmaker and journalist Matt Schrader.

"A love story?" Chernin asked in BLOCKBUSTER, free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and all other platforms.

BLOCKBUSTER is winner of Adweek's Creative Podcast of the Year, and earned two Webby Honorees and NYF Radio Awards, including for Best Podcast Miniseries.

James quickly clarified his pitch, opening a book he'd brought with him: Ken Marschall's "Titanic: An Illustrated History," and pointing to a two-page spread.

"Romeo and Juliet, on the Titanic."

The two went on to discuss another idea — a dive to the actual shipwreck. Something only done a few times before — and never by a filmmaker.

You can hear more about the passions and rise of James Cameron in BLOCKBUSTER, free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all other platforms.

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