James Cameron made Titanic film just 'because he wanted to dive to shipwreck'

22 June 2023 , 12:28

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James Cameron has expressed an interest in deep sea exploration over the years

James Cameron has spoken about his interest in the wreck of the Titanic over the years, including once saying that he only made his acclaimed film in a bid to visit the site.

The filmmaker, 68, wrote and directed the film Titanic (1997) and is said to have visited the wreck - which is located nearly 4,000 metres under the sea - on 33 occasions.

Some of his comments about deep sea exploration have resurfaced this week amid the news that a submarine has gone missing whilst on an exploration to visit the wreck.

Five people are believed to be on board Titan and there's been rescue efforts in recent days to find the submersible, which was hearding to the ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

It reportedly had a four-day oxygen supply when it went missing on Sunday and it was hoped that the vessell would be located before that ran out. The deadline related to the oxygen supply however is now believed to have passed.

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James Cameron made Titanic film just 'because he wanted to dive to shipwreck'

James Cameron has expressed an interest in deep sea exploration over the years like many other people (AP)

There's long been a fascination with the ill-fated passenger liner the Titanic, which sank in 1912 on its maiden voyage from Southampton in the UK to New York City in the US.

Among those who have expressed an interest in the ship - which has been explored in the century since it sank - has been director James, who has visited the wreck himself.

And as reported by CNN, he suggested to Playboy during an interview back in 2009 that he only made his film Titanic (1997) so that he could visit the wreckage within the ocean.

He's quoted as having said: "I made 'Titanic' because I wanted to dive to the shipwreck, not because I particularly wanted to make the movie. The Titanic was the Mount Everest of shipwrecks, and as a diver I wanted to do it right."

He's said to have visited the wreck of the Titanic, pictured in a dive from 1986, on numerous occasions (AFP Photo / Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution / Handout)

James added: "When I learned some other guys had dived to the Titanic to make an IMAX movie, I said, 'I'll make a Hollywood movie to pay for an expedition and do the same thing'."

It isn't just the Titanic that James has an interest in though, as he's spoken about being fascinated by other exploration, including in an interview with National Geographic.

He said that whilst growing up in Ontario, Canada, he remembered "watching with amazement" at TV specials by marine explorer Jacques Cousteau and recalled having tracked the dive of deep-ocean research submersible Alvin.

He wrote and directed Titanic (1997), which was based on the ship's maiden voyage (20th Century Fox/Paramount/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)

James has taken part in other marine exploration over the course of his life (Getty Images)

His own exploration has included heading to the Challenger Deep. It's located in the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench and is considered the deepest known point of the seabed.

James has also warned about deep sea exploration though, making a remark about visiting such locations underwater whilst in an interview with the New York Times in 2012.

Seemingly whilst discussing having tested the capsule that took him to the Challenger Deep, he told the outlet: "You're going into one of the most unforgiving places on Earth. It's not like you can call up AAA to come get you."