Overview

• New excerpts from Jon Landau’s posthumous memoir, The Bigger Picture, recount how a four‑minute‑and‑two‑second trailer reframed industry expectations for Titanic.
• Landau and James Cameron rejected a shorter Paramount cut dubbed the “John Woo trailer,” pushing instead to test their longer version with theater owners.
• Sherry Lansing overruled internal objections to secure a ShoWest tryout, where strong exhibitor reaction and a quip from Kurt Russell bolstered the filmmakers’ case.
• Following ShoWest, the Motion Picture Association granted a rare exception to the 150‑second guideline, and press coverage shifted to suggest the film might succeed.
• The episode is credited with aiding Titanic’s eventual box‑office run and 11 Oscars and with loosening trailer‑length norms later embraced by other blockbusters.