Titanic (1997): Cast, Story, Release Date, and Box Office
Titanic (1997): Cast, Story, Release Date, and Box Office
By Entertainment Desk· 4 min read
Titanic (1997): Cast, Story, Release Date, and Box Office
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Facts updated October 18, 2026. Figures can change as a film keeps earning.
Key points
Titanic (1997) is a historical romance disaster film based on the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic. Directed and written by James Cameron, the film features a love story between characters from different social classes, blending real events with fictional elements to explore personal relationships amid a catastrophic maritime disaster.
The story unfolds in 1912, when 17-year-old Rose DeWitt Bukater boards the Titanic with her fiancé Cal Hockley and her mother Ruth. Rose is unhappy with the engagement, but Ruth believes it will resolve their financial issues. Rose considers jumping from the ship’s rear, but Jack Dawson—a struggling artist—intervenes. A bond develops between Jack and Rose, culminating in Jack expressing his affection for her. Though initially hesitant, Rose eventually acknowledges her love for Jack, despite opposition from Cal and Ruth.
Rose invites Jack to her private room and requests he sketch her bare, dressed only in the necklace. They escape Spicer Lovejoy, Cal’s valet, and engage in intimacy inside a vehicle in the cargo area. On the front deck, they witness the ship strike an iceberg and hear officers discuss the disaster’s severity. When Jack presents a drawing of Rose, Cal orders Lovejoy to place the necklace on Jack, making him appear guilty of theft. Jack is taken into custody and held in the master-at-arms’ room, while Cal keeps the necklace for himself.
As the Titanic sinks, women and children are prioritized for lifeboats. Rose rescues Jack and they return to the deck. Cal convinces Rose to join a lifeboat, claiming he and Jack will take a different one. In a mistake, Cal wraps his coat—containing the necklace—around Rose. When the lifeboat is lowered, Rose leaps back onto the ship, refusing to leave Jack behind. Furious, Cal snatches a pistol and pursues them across the vessel.
The film was released on November 1, 1997, in theaters. It was distributed by Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox, with Paramount handling domestic distribution and Fox handling foreign release. Production began on September 1, 1995, when James Cameron shot footage of the Titanic wreck. The modern scenes were filmed on board the research vessel Akademik Mstislav Keldysh. The film was produced by 20th Century Studios, Paramount Pictures, and Lightstorm Entertainment. Music was composed by James Horner.
The cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson; Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater; Billy Zane as Caledon Hockley; Kathy Bates as Margaret Brown; Frances Fisher as Ruth DeWitt Bukater; Bernard Hill as Edward Smith; Jonathan Hyde as J. Bruce Ismay; David Warner as Spicer Lovejoy; Victor Garber as Thomas Andrews; Bill Paxton as Brock Lovett; Gloria Stuart; Danny Nucci as Fabrizio De Rossi; Jason Barry as Tommy Ryan; Suzy Amis Cameron as Lizzy Calvert; Mark Lindsay Chapman as Henry Tingle Wilde; Ewan Stewart as William McMaster Murdoch; Jonathan Phillips as Charles Lightoller; Ioan Gruffudd as Harold Lowe; Edward Fletcher as James Paul Moody; Bernard Fox as Archibald Gracie IV.
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The film is categorized as a disaster film, drama film, romance film, and flashback film. It has an MPA rating of PG-13 and a running time of 194 minutes. The official theatrical release date is December 19, 1997.
Box office figures are reported as of March 17, 2020, with a worldwide gross of $1.85 billion. Including reissues from 2012, 2017, and 2023, the total revenue reaches $2.264 billion. The film reached the top spot in 1998 and held it until 2010. By March 1, 1998, the film had surpassed one billion dollars in global box office revenue, marking a historic milestone. On April 13–15, 2012, during a 3D re-release, it became the second film to cross the $2 billion threshold.
The film is available in theaters and on streaming services, including Netflix, Disney+, and Apple TV. Availability varies by country.
Behind the scenes: Production began on September 1, 1995, with footage shot of the Titanic wreck. The modern scenes were filmed on board the research vessel Akademik Mstislav Keldysh. The film was produced by 20th Century Studios, Paramount Pictures, and Lightstorm Entertainment. Music was composed by James Horner. The film was originally scheduled for July 2, 1997, but was postponed due to technical challenges with special effects. Harrison Ford reportedly told Paramount he would not work with them again if the film was released close to his film Air Force One, which premiered on July 25, 1997. The film was released on December 19, 1997, in theaters.
Note: The release date listed in the sources varies—November 1, 1997, is cited in Wikidata, while December 19, 1997, is the official theatrical release date. This discrepancy is noted but not resolved in the sources.
A major American historical romance released in 1997, this film was both written and directed by James Cameron. It is based on accounts of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. The ensemble cast includes Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Frances Fisher, Bernard Hill, Jonathan Hyde, Danny Nucci, David Warner, and Bill Paxton. James Cameron drew his creative spark from a deep interest in shipwrecks. He thought blending a love narrative with personal tragedies was key to showing how deeply the disaster affected people emotionally.
Titanic is listed for streaming on Netflix, Disney+ and Apple TV. Availability changes and differs by country, so check the service before you subscribe. The film box at the top of this guide links to every streaming, rental and purchase option.
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