James Cameron conducted forensic analysis to prove Jack's Titanic death: 'He needed to die'

After 25 years, Titanic director James Cameron is tired of hearing your theories on how Jack could have survived.

It's one of the most widely debated scenes in recent movie history: At the end of the film, Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) saves Rose (Kate Winslet) by letting her have all the room on a rather large floating hunk of wood. Left in the freezing water by her side, he quickly succumbs to hypothermia after saying his tearful goodbyes.

Fans, the stars themselves, and even the Mythbusters team have all posited ways in which Jack could have survived in the years since the film's release in 1997. So, Cameron, who is in the midst of promoting his latest blockbuster offering, Avatar: The Way of Water, is taking steps to finally, once and for all, put the matter to rest — and fans can watch the results themselves very soon.

Speaking to the Toronto Sun, the director revealed he has conducted a "scientific study" that proves the raft couldn't have been shared. "We have done a scientific study to put this whole thing to rest and drive a stake through its heart once and for all," Cameron said. "We have since done a thorough forensic analysis with a hypothermia expert who reproduced the raft from the movie and we're going to do a little special on it that comes out in February."

He continued, "We took two stunt people who were the same body mass of Kate and Leo and we put sensors all over them and inside them and we put them in ice water and we tested to see whether they could have survived through a variety of methods and the answer was, there was no way they both could have survived. Only one could survive."

Ok, but did he ever consider saving Jack in some other way? "No, he needed to die," Cameron told the outlet. "It's like Romeo and Juliet. It's a movie about love and sacrifice and mortality. The love is measured by the sacrifice."

Cameron's experiment is going to air on National Geographic timed to Titanic's 4k restoration re-release in theaters over Valentine's Day weekend in 2023. Cameron says it's hope that, "Maybe… maybe… after 25 years, I won't have to deal with this anymore."

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

Related content:

• James Cameron says Leonardo DiCaprio nearly lost Titanic role because he didn't want to audition
• James Cameron's dialogue in Titanic is actually great
• Céline Dion finally settles Titanic debate of whether Jack could have fit on that door