Death of John Refua, 58, editor-in-chief of Avatar: The Waterway

Such a sad and cruel story. John Refua, the Oscar-winning editor-in-chief responsible for Avatar: The Waterway, has died at the age of 58.

The death was related to complications from a rare bile duct cancer called cholangiocarcinoma, which he was diagnosed with in early 2022, according to his wife, Serena Belle Refua, who shared the news of his death. A message posted on Facebook.

“Dear friends, my brilliant, sweet and creative husband John Jahanshah Refua passed away last night, May 14, surrounded by his loving family and friends. At 15 months old, he was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare cancer of the bile ducts.

Despite the pain and difficulty of this aggressive disease, she faced it with courage and determination. He continued to work on editingAvatar 3 from James Cameron until his last weeks.

His life trajectory was quite unique and he made everything he touched better. He enjoyed music, movies, politics, travel, vintage cars, science fiction, and his 4-year-old granddaughter, Avery Sophia. His generosity and wisdom will be missed.”

An experienced and respected editor and longtime collaborator of James Cameron, John Refua began his career as an assistant editor on two episodes of the legendary TV series Twin Peaks in 1990. In 1992, the editor of the series Raven asked him to edit 16 episodes. From the series created by Cameron, Dark Angel, from 200 to 2002, as well as more than thirty episodes of the detective series CSI: Miami. In 2003, Cameron commissioned him to edit his fascinating documentary Ghosts of the Titanic.

We also owe The Equalizer, The Fall of the White House, Rage in the Belly, or even the remake of 7 Mercenaries, released in 2016 and directed by Antoine Fuqua, with whom he often worked.