'Titanic's' Infamous Jack Door Debate Reignites After Prop Found at Disney

It's a question that has dominated popular culture since 1997: Could Jack Dawson have fit on the wooden panel in the blockbuster Titanic?

Fans of the film, and even those who haven't seen it, will be familiar with the debate surrounding the (spoiler alert) death of Jack, played by Leonardo DiCaprio.

After he and Rose DeWitt Bukater, played by Kate Winslet, are reunited amid the sinking, they go down with the ship and are left to face the ravages of the icy Atlantic, which claimed the lives of roughly 1,500 people in the 1912 tragedy.

In the fictionalized plot, directed by James Cameron, Rose manages to get on a piece of floating wooden debris.

After hauling herself on top, out of the freezing waters, Jack also tries to clamber aboard. But the panel tips, sending them back into the cold waters.

In the end Kate lies on the board solo, while Jack clings onto the edge. But by the time a lifeboat comes to save them, he has succumbed to the cold.

"I'll never let go, I promise," Rose says as he sinks to the depths. Over the years fans have fiercely debated whether there was enough room for two, including trying to recreate the dimensions of the board.

If you wanted to check it out in person, a film buff has revealed the actual prop from the movie is on display at Disney Springs, in Disney World Resort, Florida.

TikToker Jtallan posted a clip to their account, captioned: "Did you know this? I love the history and facts in #disney."

The on-screen text says: "Did you know the wooden panel used in the movie Titanic is located in Disney Springs?"

It films a plaque showing Jack and Rose on the board, as the description says: "Wooden panel from the film Titanic."

The exact location of the prop was revealed to be inside Planet Hollywood, known for its movie memorabilia.

The restaurant website promises "rare Hollywood memorabilia" including "artifacts and costumes from Tinseltown's biggest blockbuster movies."

The clip, shared earlier this month, which can be seen here, amassed more than four million views, as Clare McHugh pointed out: "It's also not a door."

La insisted: "There was definitely room."

Jessie joked: "This wooden panel is the real hero of the movie lol."

Benjamin Carpenter B stated: "And I will always say there is room for two on there hahahahahah."

Ryan Jude Novelline wrote: "They could've both fit."

Kim Thib commented: "So maybe they both couldn't fit after all."

But CB added: "Maybe there wasn't room for two of them. Looks a lot smaller."

Agreeing, Talia Brannon claimed: "Oh damn I take it back—there was only room for one person."

The heightened interest in the prop, and whether it could fit two people, has been addressed by Cameron, Winslet and DiCaprio over the years.

The director of the Oscar-winning film, one of only three to receive 11 golden statues, claimed it wasn't a question of space, in a 2012 interview with IGN.

"Actually, it's not a question of room, it's a question of buoyancy. When Jack puts Rose on the raft, then he tries to get on the raft. He's not an idiot, he doesn't want to die. And the raft sinks and kind of flips.

"So it's clear that there's only enough buoyancy available for one person. So he makes a decision to let her be that person instead of taking them both down," he's quoted as saying by Hollywood Reporter.

In 2016, while chatting with Jimmy Kimmel, Winslet is reported to have said: "I agree, I think he could have actually fit on that bit of door," according to Cosmopolitan.

While in an interview in 2019, DiCaprio was quizzed over the million dollar question, alongside his Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood co-stars, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, as he replied: "Like I said, I have no comment."

Newsweek reached out to @jtallan for comment.