James Cameron’s Titanic is a standalone story, so the fact that 2010 movie Titanic 2 exists continues to raise questions about an unknown follow-up to Rose’s story every time it appears on a new streaming platform. James Cameron’s name has become synonymous with big-budget productions, mostly from the sci-fi genre, but one of his biggest and most ambitious projects ever was Titanic, the now-legendary disaster drama starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslett released in 1997. Titanic was the most expensive movie ever made at the time, and went on to become the highest-grossing film of all time, holding that spot for many, many years, and it continues to be one of Cameron’s most impressive works. There’s never been a sequel to James Cameron’s Titanic, which means there was no shortage of confusion when the 2010 movie Titanic II entered circulation.
Based on the real-life tragedy of the RMS Titanic in 1912, Cameron’s Titanic tells a fictional story led by fictional characters, through which the audience meets many others based on real-life passengers of the ship, such as Molly Brown (Kathy Bates) and J. Bruce Ismay (Jonathan Hyde). Sadly, Rose and Jack’s story ends in tragedy, as Jack becomes one of the many victims of the sinking of the Titanic, while Rose is eventually rescued. Titanic tells a complete story and gives its main characters proper closure, even showing them reuniting in the “afterlife” with the rest of the passengers that died when the ship sank, so there weren’t any loose ends that could make way for a sequel — while the movie Titanic 2 exists, it isn’t linked to Cameron’s or a sequel to Titanic. Here’s Titanic 2 explained.
What Is Titanic II About?
Titanic 2 is also a disaster drama movie, released in 2010 and directed by Shane Van Dyke. Set in April 2012, 100 years after the tragedy of the RMS Titanic, a similar-looking luxury cruise liner, named RMS Titanic II, is christened, and embarks on its maiden voyage using the same real-life route as the Titanic but in reverse — from New York City to Southampton. The main characters in Titanic II are the ship’s designer, Hayden Walsh (Van Dyke), and nurse Amy Maine (Marie Westbrook), and the reason why Titanic II sinks (and burns and is pretty much destroyed even worse than the original ship), is all due to global warming, as an iceberg rams into the ship as a result of a tsunami.
By the end of Titanic 2, Hayden sacrifices himself to save Amy, who is rescued by her father, United States Coast Guard Captain James Maine (Bruce Davison), along with other injured passengers. Unsurprisingly, Titanic 2 was released direct-to-TV in Australia, premiered on Syfy in the UK and Ireland, and was released in theaters in the US, like James Cameron’s original Titanic, but received negative reviews (though the performances of the main cast received praise). It’s a relatively lighthearted disaster movie that tries to do a lot with a limited budget, like most direct-to-TV feature films, and while it has a lot of heart, Titanic II isn’t a sequel to James Cameron’s 1997 movie even spiritually (and it doesn’t try to be).
Why James Cameron’s Titanic Never Got A Sequel
Titanic II isn’t a sequel to James Cameron’s Titanic, and many wonder why he never made a Titanic 2 of his own that directly follows on from his 1997 hit. On the surface, it seems obvious that Titanic wouldn’t get a follow-up. The movie depicts a historical event after all, and the titular ship sank at the end of Titanic. Jack dies, and the narrative is wrapped up neatly by the Titanic ending (controversies about the size of a certain door aside). However, such was the success of Titanic that many viewers continue to want more regardless, meaning that there are those who’d like to see a James Cameron’s Titanic 2.
James Cameron has never publicly stated why there’s no Titanic sequel, though this is likely because the answer seems self-explanatory for the aforementioned reasons. The budget would also be a serious factor, as Titanic is renowned for being one of the most expensive movies ever made, with practical effects and sets that took an inordinate amount of time and effort to put together. As for why there’s never been a sequel to Titanic that follows Rose’s life after leaving Jack at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, there’s likely too little demand for Paramount or 20th Century to option the idea if it were put forward.
