Exactly four weeks ago yesterday on June 18, the OceanGate Titan submersible went down to view the wreckage of the Titanic with five passengers on board. Before two full hours passed the submersible had lost contact with their main ship, and by June 22 the Coast Guard confirmed that debris was found from a “catastrophic implosion” and that all passengers had perished. James Cameron–film director, deep-sea explorer, environmental advocate–waited until it was announced that the debris had been found before making any public comments. Aside from directing the 1997 film Titanic, he has legit credentials as a deep-sea expert, having visited the Titanic site 33 times, gone to the Mariana Trench and been an active participant in the development and engineering of submersibles. So when he finally spoke to say unequivocally that OceanGate should never have been allowed to operate, people listened. Some, it seems, listened and took away the wrong message, as Cameron had to take to his socials this weekend to deny that he is (or ever will be) working on an OceanGate film:

James Cameron is denying rumors that he’s going to be part of an OceanGate-film.

The Academy Award winner shared on his Instagram Story on Saturday that, despite rumors, he will not be working on a movie about the company behind the Titan submersible that imploded during a journey to the Titanic wreckage last month.

“I don’t respond to offensive rumors in the media usually, but I need to now,” the filmmaker wrote to his Instagram fans. “I’m NOT in talks about an OceanGate film, nor will I ever be.”

The Titanic director shared the sentiment on Twitter, too. His statement follows reports from the Daily Mail and The Sun about Cameron allegedly being approached for a series about the Titan submersible disaster.

On June 22, a search for the missing submersible that was traveling to the site of the Titanic wreckage ended when debris was found on the ocean floor that likely was caused by a “catastrophic implosion,” assumed to be that of Titan.

Five people were aboard the Titan when it disappeared and imploded on Father’s Day: OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, 61, British Pakistani billionaire Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Suleman Dawood, 19, British billionaire Hamish Harding, 58, and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77.

Days later, the U.S. Coast Guard revealed that “presumed human remains” were recovered while searching through the wreckage. What was believed to be remains “were carefully recovered” within the wreckage, and the Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) transported them for further analysis and testing.

[From People]

As “research” for this article I re-watched Titanic yesterday, and it really is so good. I remember going to see it in a packed cinema when it first came out, and I remember later having a two-tape VHS copy at home. What I didn’t clue into as a kid, that was so apparent to me watching the film now, is what a perfect commentary it is on class structure. There are the immigrant, poorer classes in steerage and in the belly of the ship keeping her fueled, literally making the ship run. But the gilded class enjoy all the finery (and eventually all the lifeboats). When he spoke last month Cameron noted the striking parallels between Titanic and OceanGate, citing hubris as a key example. I think there’s also a link between the disasters when it comes to class. I mean, those five passengers paid up to $250,000 each to take that trip.

So, do I think at some point there will be a movie made about this disaster? For sure. And it doesn’t come out of nowhere to connect James Cameron to such a project, his name in the conversation is logical, even if he never will partake (after all he is busy with the next Avatar: The Way of the Box Office and that $33 million ranch to sell). What is offensive, to borrow Cameron’s word choice, is to start this conversation when it’s been a mere month since the OceanGate disaster occurred. But, since the rumor was started by The Sun and Daily Mail, I assume the next story they’ll run is that the Sussexes are producing this (non-existent) film.

Photos credit: Cover Images, JPI Studios / Avalon