Oscar-nominated movie editor John Refoua, most known for his work with Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water, died Sunday, May 14, after battling a rare bile duct cancer for 14 months. Refoua died at only 58 years old. Refoua’s career skyrocketed after the very successful Avatar film in 2009. He collaborated with James Cameron and Stephen E. Rivkin on the first Avatar. They received a nomination for best achievement in film edit in 2010 at the Academy Awards. 

After Avatar, Refoua worked on Transformers: The Last Knight, New York Undercover, CSI: Miami, Geostorm, Touched by an Angel, Dark Angel, The Equalizer, The Whispers, and more before returning to editing Avatar: The Way of Water. 

It was not until spring 2022 that Refoua was diagnosed with a rare bile duct cancer, cholangiocarcinoma. Despite this devasting diagnosis, Refoua was an editing director on Avatar 3 until weeks before his death. The third film is planned for release towards the end of 2024. 

Refoua’s wife, Serena, posted on Facebook, “Despite the pain and complexities of this aggressive disease, he faced it with courage and grit.” Serena continues, “His life’s trajectory was quite unique and anything he touched, he made better. He loved music, movies, politics, traveling, vintage cars, science fiction, and his 4-year-old granddaughter Avery Sophia. We will miss his generosity and wisdom.” 

Serena asks that people donate to The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation instead of sending flowers. The foundation spreads awareness and is a leading foundation in education and research. They aim to improve people’s quality of life with cholangiocarcinoma and find a cure.