"Near, far, wherever you are," you may have heard once (if not multiple times) about the phenomenon that is Titanic, which graced the theaters on December 19, 1997. For the longest time, the James Cameron-helmed romantic drama film held the top spot in the list of highest-grossing films ever produced, until Avatar—which Cameron also directed—entered the picture. In celebration of the film's 25th anniversary, Titanic will return to the big screen in a remastered version on February 10, ahead of Valentine's Day. While the disaster film was initially released near Christmas, the director explained why he ended up choosing February as the re-release date for Titanic.
In an interview with SiriusXM's The Jess Cagle Show, Cameron shared that he wanted to re-release Titanic for those who haven't seen it yet, as well as provide a nostalgic trip down memory lane for those who have. Explaining why he chose to launch it in February instead of the film's actual 25th anniversary date, the director said: "Well, the date that made sense to me was Valentine's Day, because in the original release, which was 1997 into 1998, we came out a few days before Christmas. I think it was [December 19]. But the highest-grossing single day of the release was Valentine's Day."
Since the movie's highest box office performance occurred in February, the director shared that it just goes to show that, after all, Titanic is a "celebration of love," to which he said: "Kind of obvious why, but very unusual for a film that's been in the marketplace for two months to have its biggest single performing day. So it's a celebration of love. It's a celebration of the movie, at the same time. And it's a celebration of the success of the movie as well."
Titanic tells the story of two star-crossed lovers who met on the R.M.S. Titanic, which sinks after colliding with a massive iceberg. The romance film made household names out of Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, who played Rose Dewitt Bukater and Jack Dawson, respectively. Titanic won several accolades after its release, including 11 Oscars. While fans are certainly excited about the re-release, Cameron also told SiriusXM that the majority of the remastering work was completed ten years ago, and the addition of Atmos sound, which wasn't available then, is the only brand-new element added to the film. "We haven't changed a frame of the movie. There's no Easter eggs or little, you know, end-credit sequence. We don't have to tease another movie."
The movie has maintained its appeal even after 25 long years and has remained as one of the top three highest-grossing movies of all time, with Avatar firmly holding the first spot and Avengers: Endgame occupying the second. Titanic was written, produced, and directed by Cameron. Along with DiCaprio and Winslet, notable stars Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Frances Fisher, Jonathan Hyde, Danny Nucci, and David Warner also appear in the movie.
Prepare to have your heart skip a beat once again when the remastered version of Titanic hits theaters on February 10. Until then, you can watch the trailer below.