In a poignant turn of events, Netflix has brought back the 1997 blockbuster "Titanic" to its streaming service on July 1st. This decision follows the tragic implosion of the Titan submersible during its expedition to the iconic shipwreck. The film, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, rejoins the platform's library alongside numerous other additions, as reported by HuffPost. Netflix has not commented on whether this reinstatement was planned prior to the submersible's ill-fated voyage. Variety notes that the movie was removed from Netflix in August 2022.
The RMS Titanic met its tragic end in 1912, sinking on its maiden voyage after striking an iceberg. The film's director, James Cameron, a seasoned deep-sea explorer himself, expressed his immediate premonition of a catastrophic event concerning the Titan. He shared with the BBC that he sensed the sub's demise as early as Monday morning. The submersible lost contact roughly 1 hour and 45 minutes into its descent, with debris located days later.
Cameron stated his certainty about the sub's location, directly beneath its last known position. He highlighted the efficiency of the search once a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) capable of reaching the necessary depth was deployed, locating the wreckage within hours, if not minutes.
The victims of this tragedy include OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, British businessman and adventurer Hamish Harding, the father-son duo Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, and Paul-Henry Nargeolet, a renowned Titanic expert and former French navy officer. Cameron, who has visited the Titanic wreck 33 times and piloted the Deepsea Challenger to the Mariana Trench in 2012, emphasized the concerns within the deep-sea exploration community regarding the Titan's experimental nature. He revealed that several prominent figures had cautioned OceanGate about the risks of carrying passengers with such an experimental vessel.
Upon the discovery of the debris field, Cameron likened Rush's actions to Captain Edward Smith's disregard for warnings about ice in the path of the Titanic, leading to the devastating loss of life. Cameron reiterated the concerns voiced by the submersible community, highlighting the letters sent to OceanGate expressing apprehension about the Titan's experimental design and its suitability for passenger transport.
