--- title: Titanic 'Door' Sells Big at Auction, Reignites Major Debate description: The famous floating “door” that has caused endless heated debates since 'Titanic's 1997 release has sold for $718,750 at auction. canonical: https://time.com/6960939/titanic-door-prop-auction-sale-rose-jack-debate/ author: Armani Syed article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-03-27T12:34:25.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T07:40:57.591Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Titanic 'Door' Lands Big Sum at Auction, Reigniting Debate og:description: The famous floating “door” that has caused endless heated debates since the film's 1997 release has sold for a big sum. og:url: https://time.com/6960939/titanic-door-prop-auction-sale-rose-jack-debate/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltae6464492d8a785e/698a55280116822b62985a0a/titanic-film-raft.jpg?branch=production&width=948&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 948 og:image:height: 533 og:image:alt: "Titanic" og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Titanic 'Door' Lands Big Sum at Auction, Reigniting Debate twitter:description: The famous floating “door” that has caused endless heated debates since the film's 1997 release has sold for a big sum. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltae6464492d8a785e/698a55280116822b62985a0a/titanic-film-raft.jpg?branch=production&width=948&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # _Titanic_ Door Prop Sells at Auction for Hundreds of Thousands, Reigniting Age-Old Debate > Sponsored content. 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Mar 27, 2024 12:34 PM UTC With the release of his latest film, Avatar, the director even beat his own record: on Jan. 26 it surpassed Titanic to become the highest grossing film worldwide. James Cameron answers reader questions here.  by [Armani Syed](https://time.com/author/armani-syed/)  ## Armani Syed Syed was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau. Mar 27, 2024 12:34 PM UTC The famous floating “door” that has caused [endless heated debates](https://time.com/4970915/did-jack-survive-the-titanic/) since _Titanic_’s 1997 release has sold for $718,750 at auction. In James Cameron’s hit romantic disaster film, Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) and Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) locate a wooden slab to float on after the ship has sunk. The young couple struggle to both clamber on, so Jack protects Rose by allowing her to climb aboard while he remains suspended in the icy ocean where he dies, likely of hypothermia. The balsa wood panel—arguably the film’s third most significant character—has for decades caused fans to question whether it would have been big enough to support both fictional characters in the aftermath of the Titanic sinking. But now one superfan bidder can put all the endless theories to rest and reach their own conclusion. In its auction [listing notes,](https://entertainment.ha.com/itm/movie-tv-memorabilia/props/titanic-tcf-1997-kate-winslet-rose-dewitt-bukater-hero-floating-wood-panel/a/7356-89979.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515) it is revealed that the flotation prop is often mistakenly referred to as a door but it was in fact part of the door frame above the ship’s first-class lounge entrance. It is designed with motifs associated with Rococo architecture. “Based on the most famous complete piece of debris salvaged from the 1912 tragedy, this intricately carved prop bears a striking resemblance to the Louis XV-style panel housed in the Maritime Museum in Halifax, Nova Scotia,” the listing noted. **Read More:** [_Could Jack Have Fit on the Titanic Door? Let’s Examine the Modern Cinema Debate_](https://time.com/5627345/titanic-door-scene-debate/) The item was sold among a number of other props and costumes by restaurant and resort chain Planet Hollywood. Other Titanic relics include the [ship’s helm wheel](https://entertainment.ha.com/itm/movie-tv-memorabilia/props/titanic-tcf-1997-ship-s-helm-wheel/a/7356-89991.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515) and the [chiffon dress ](https://entertainment.ha.com/itm/movie-tv-memorabilia/costumes/titanic-tcf-1997-kate-winslet-rose-dewitt-bukater-iconic-chiffon-swim-dress-/a/7356-89978.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515)Winslet wore for the scenes where the ship sinks. It also includes the [iconic ax](https://entertainment.ha.com/itm/movie-tv-memorabilia/props/the-shining-warner-bros-1980-jack-nicholson-jack-torrance-hero-axe/a/7356-89019.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515) Jack Nicholson used in _The Shining_ (1980) and Harrison Ford’s [signature bullwhip](https://entertainment.ha.com/itm/movie-tv-memorabilia/props/indiana-jones-and-the-temple-of-doom-paramount-1984-harrison-ford-indiana-jones-signature-bullwhip/a/7356-89605.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515) from _Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom_ (1984). The lucrative sale is no surprise for one of the highest grossing films of all time. But it has also reignited fans to reference the raft’s ability to allow two people to float. “If she’d shuffled over to let Jack on, it might’ve fetched a million,” [joked one fan](https://twitter.com/leazlemacweazle/status/1772881911859286361) on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). An additional X user [shared an image](https://twitter.com/Futur%5F1st/status/1772899046010527824) of the couple with the raft and quipped, “Jack. Yes, Rose. Don't touch my door, it's worth 718,750 dollars.” Another X user asked the [age old question](https://twitter.com/wurttembergarq/status/1772885152609272089), “Could the new owner try \[to see\] if it is big enough for two?” In 2022, Cameron set out to settle the matter by commissioning a scientific study to “put this whole thing to rest” and prove Jack’s fate was not avoidable. “We have since done a thorough forensic analysis with a hypothermia expert who reproduced the raft from the movie,” Cameron told Postmedia, [according to _The Guardian_](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/dec/20/james-cameron-proves-jack-couldnt-have-survived-titanic-sinking-leonardo-dicaprio-kate-winslet). “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,” he added. Insisting on Jack’s death, Cameron said: “It’s like Romeo and Juliet. It’s a movie about love and sacrifice and mortality. The love is measured by the sacrifice.” The results of the study aired on National Geographic in 2023, after the film celebrated its 25th anniversary as a beloved classic. It concluded that [no position](https://twitter.com/GMA/status/1621147244815876096?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1621147244815876096%7Ctwgr%5E7eb92aa28f987334eaf1b04bd6a27c08e12e572c%7Ctwcon%5Es1%5F&ref%5Furl=https%3A%2F%2Few.com%2Fembed%3Furl%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2Ftwitter2Fstatus2F1621147244815876096id%3Dmntl-sc-block%5F1-0-4-iframeoptions%3De303DdocId%3D8221434) would have changed the outcome of the film’s final scenes, no matter what fans argue. ## Transcript >> This is TIME Magazine. I'm here with James Cameron who's taking questions from TIME readers. >> Great. I'm all set. >> This question comes from a reader in Aruba who asks, " Is Avatar a native- American story ?" >> No, not exclusively. When I was writing it, I was thinking more about the colonial period of the French and Spanish and English, kind of coming in and taking over North America, Central, America, South America, Australia, where they were basically almost completely genocidal to the aboriginal people there, you know. So our track record as human being is pretty bad historically when it comes to a militarily superior society interacting with militarily, you know, less powerful society. They either get wiped out, you get displaced and they wind up, you know, kind of refugees or on reservations or they wind up in slave. So, you know, this is not something we need to feel guilty about. It's something we just need to be aware of that as human beings we have this kind of sense of entitlement. If we can take it, we will. The major relevance now is that's our attitude about nature. We used to take it. We mine it, we strip it, we log it, we take from the ocean and we take all the fish and we don't consider ourselves with sustainability with getting back that which we've taken. And it's not a sustainable model. We're gonna die out if we don't change our perception. >> From Julie Patrick in Manhattan Beach, California who asks, " I connected with Avatar's message about the planet and taking care of our forests, oceans and wildlife. How can we here on earth create our own Pandora? >> Yes. It's interesting. You know, people are talking about being depressed coming out of the movie and, you know, I tell them, you know, go for a walk in the forest. Go, you know, snorkeling in a coral reef where you appreciate the nature we have. So think from our respect for nature comes in action. I guess what Avatar ask people to do is to have an emotional reaction to the movie and then translate that emotional reaction into action in their day to day lives. >> Mark Monroe in Paris asks, what was the most powerful motivator for writing Avatar? >> That's an interesting question. I mean, all of these thoughts and ideas were clearly swirling around that, you know, that are just been talking about. But another powerful motivator was the opportunity to do like a kind of mega- design project, where you get to design everything. You get to design the vehicles and the creatures and the plants and everything that is in front of the camera gets the design other than actually the actors' faces and bodies and even men, the main characters are either Na'vi or they take in Avatar form, so even those characters get design. I love art, I love design. I love science fiction. So to me that was right in my area code as the all- time fantasy project. So I was writing toward visual goals that I had as much as thematic ones. >> With Avatar being just as successful as Titanic, are you planning on taking another 12 years before the next-- >> I didn't plan on taking 12 years last time, so I get into that. And look, I have a lot of interest besides filming. I'm interested in space exploration, [ unk ] exploration. I'm interested in alternative energy. There are lots of things that I want to be doing beside just making movies. But I don't-- my current plan is not to take 12 years. My current plan is to do-- is to start another film. If not an Avatar film, something like that, that uses a lot of these new techniques as we built a great team to make Avatar and the enthusiasm and the passion of that team and the capability of that team is what would make me wanna do another film like this pretty much right away. >> How do you think the use of CGI and 3D will affect cinema? >> Well, look at me. We've already seen that, you know, Hollywood is now 3D- crazy and they're trying to convert movies to 3D, which is a classic example of Hollywood getting it wrong, you know. We show them that a movie that took four- and- a- half years to make and was authored in native 3D can make a lot of money from which they conclude that if they just smash, bash a movie into 3D in an eight- week period, they can accomplish the same thing. In terms of the future of CGs, it's gonna continue the way it's been developing. I mean, obviously there's a milestone with I think with Avatar in terms of the emotional reality of CG characters that can now I think continue that will have acceptance from here on. You know, I think that we're at interesting stage right now, where as film- makers, if we can imagine it, we can create it. And I think, you know, I said that previously but I don't think it was quite true because there was always this-- when I was thought of is the last frontier or the last hurdle, which was emotional truth and this type of type close- up in a fully CG character sustain through a lot of movie. Not as a little stunt in the middle of the movie but sustain throughout the film. And, you know, I think we've overcome that hurdle. >> Which character trait or character flow you prefer is the most important explanation of your success? >> I mean, for me I would say, it's all driven by curiosity and the desire to be personally challenged. Those two things I can sum up-- sum it all up and I don't know if it's a formula for success. It's just what drives me. Very curious, I wanna know more. I choose projects that I'm gonna learn from. I choose projects that are challenging. I don't wanna do the same thing twice. So I think, you know, I think personal challenge, you know, trying to strive for excellence. And to me, the-- in filmmaking the excellence is how excellent can the entertainment experience be for the audience and I'll pull that all stops to do that. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6960939/titanic-door-prop-auction-sale-rose-jack-debate/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6960939/titanic-door-prop-auction-sale-rose-jack-debate/"},"headline":"Titanic Door Prop Sells at Auction for Hundreds of Thousands, Reigniting Age-Old Debate","datePublished":"2024-03-27T12:34:25.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-19T07:40:57.591Z","description":"The famous floating “door” that has caused endless heated debates since 'Titanic's 1997 release has sold for $718,750 at auction.","url":"https://time.com/6960939/titanic-door-prop-auction-sale-rose-jack-debate/","keywords":["movies","News Desk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltae6464492d8a785e/698a55280116822b62985a0a/titanic-film-raft.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Armani Syed","jobTitle":"Syed was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau.","url":"https://time.com/author/armani-syed/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltae6464492d8a785e/698a55280116822b62985a0a/titanic-film-raft.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"\"Titanic\"","caption":"\"Titanic\"","creditText":"CBS—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/movies/","name":"movies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6960939/titanic-door-prop-auction-sale-rose-jack-debate/","name":"Titanic Door Prop Sells at Auction for Hundreds of Thousands, Reigniting Age-Old Debate"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"10 Questions for James Cameron","description":"With the release of his latest film, Avatar, the director even beat his own record: on Jan. 26 it surpassed Titanic to become the highest grossing film worldwide. 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