Titanic Director, James Cameron, Denies ‘Offensive Rumors’ That He’s Making an OceanGate Sub Implosion Movie

James Cameron firmly denied any involvement in a film project based on the ill-fated OceanGate submersible that tragically collapsed during a dive to the Titanic wreckage, resulting in the loss of all five individuals on board. Taking to his Instagram Story, the renowned director of “Titanic” clarified, “I don’t usually respond to offensive rumors in the media, but I feel the need to address this now. I am NOT in talks about an OceanGate film, and I never will be.”

While Cameron, a member of the deep submersion community, has personally explored the Titanic wreckage 33 times, he has never done so with OceanGate. Following the “catastrophic implosion” that claimed the lives of the OceanGate passengers on June 18, Cameron expressed regret for not speaking up about his concerns regarding the experimental sub’s design, particularly its controversial use of carbon fiber for the hull. In an interview with Reuters, he admitted, “I thought it was a terrible idea. I wish I had voiced my concerns, but I assumed someone smarter than me was involved. The technology just seemed flawed from the outset.”

Cameron emphasized that the standard practice in the industry is to construct hulls using materials like titanium, steel, ceramic, or acrylic. He echoed the concerns of critics that the materials used for the Titan sub’s hull would be susceptible to long-term failure due to delamination and water infiltration. Furthermore, he questioned the ethics of charging passengers for a ride on an “experimental” vessel.

The OceanGate Titan sub, which lost contact with its mothership during its descent to the Titanic, prompted an international search operation that concluded on June 23 with the discovery of a debris field near the sunken ship. Tragically, all five individuals on board—OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, billionaire Hamish Harding, businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his son, Sulaiman Dawood—had lost their lives.

Cameron revealed that he learned of their deaths the day after the submersible went missing. He recalled, “Within an hour, we received confirmation of a loud bang at the same time the sub’s communications were lost—a loud bang heard on the hydrophone. Transponder and communication loss. I knew what had happened. The sub imploded.” Drawing a parallel, he likened Rush’s actions to those of Captain Edward Smith of the Titanic, stating, “I’m struck by the similarity to the Titanic disaster itself, where the captain was repeatedly warned about the presence of ice ahead, yet he continued at full speed into an ice field on a moonless night. Many lives were lost as a result. It’s a tragic parallel to witness a similar disregard for warnings at the very same location.”

Micajah

Covering superheroes, anything dark, horror, and more! Lead writer for Fan Fest