James Cameron weighs in on debates he still has about Titanic raft scene

James Cameron says he is done debating the ending of Titanic.

The filmmaker addressed the long-running question during a recent appearance on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast. The issue has followed him for decades. Fans continue to argue that Jack, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, could have survived by sharing the floating raft with Rose.

Cameron dismissed the topic bluntly. He told listeners not to ask him about the raft anymore. He said the debate ignores both the intent of the scene and the science behind it.

Still, Cameron explained why the outcome remains unchanged. He said his team previously conducted a controlled experiment to test whether Jack could have survived in the freezing water. The goal was to settle the question definitively.

Cameron said survival would have required expert-level knowledge of hypothermia. He said it would also have required very specific conditions and a great deal of luck. He added that this information was not known in 1912, when the Titanic sank.

Because of that, Cameron said Jack could not have lived. He said the conditions needed for survival were not met. He said the character had no way of knowing how to preserve body heat in that scenario.

Cameron emphasized that the ending was never meant to be ambiguous. He said Jack’s death was essential to the story and Rose’s arc. He said changing that outcome would undermine the emotional core of the film.

The director’s comments come as his career continues to set records. Cameron is the only filmmaker to direct four movies that grossed more than $1 billion worldwide. Those films include Titanic and three installments of Avatar.

Despite the ongoing debate, Cameron made his position clear. The ending is final. Jack does not survive.