James Cameron has proof now that Jack “might have lived” in Titanic. It’s the age old question we’ve been asking since the blockbuster movie was released 25 years ago: Why didn’t Rose pull Jack up onto the float with her? There was definitely enough room right? He could have lived for sure. It’s a topic that is tackled in a new one-hour National Geographic special “Titanic: 25 years Later with James Cameron.” The special is set to air this weekend and in it, James took a couple of stunt actors on a series of tests to see whether or not once and for all Rose AND Jack would have survived if she had pulled him out of the water. We’ll explain below.

The special airs Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on National Geographic, and streams the next day on Hulu.

• James Cameron enlisted help from two stunt doubles

  Actors Josh Bird and Kristine Zipfel, who were thought to be about the same height and weight as stars Leonardo DiCaprio (Jack) and Kate Winslet (Rose) in the 1997 film, were hired for the “test.”

  Following tests, James Cameron admits "Jack might have lived" in Titanic

  The unsinkable James Cameron has admitted to a hole in his storytelling, saying after lab tests that "Jack might have lived" in Titanic.

• James Cameron made sure the elements were exactly the same

  Cameron made sure the water was the exact temperature AND the raft was the exact same buoyancy 

• Close monitoring was done on the actors to prevent hypothermia

  Jack would have suffered severe hypothermia after only 20 minutes, far shorter than the 2 hours it took for rescue crews to arrive. But if he was pulled onto the raft, things would’ve been different.

  Following tests, James Cameron admits "Jack might have lived" in Titanic

  The unsinkable James Cameron has admitted to a hole in his storytelling, saying after lab tests that "Jack might have lived" in Titanic.

• Both actors had to work to fit themselves onto the raft

  Kneeling didn’t work and keeping only their upper bodies on top would have given them both hypothermia quickly. They compromised and sat on the raft dipping only their lower legs into the water.

• Cameron insisted both actors recreate actually falling into the water from the ship

  Cameron wanted both actors to “go through all the stuff” Jack and Rose went through. Even through this, it was concluded both Jack and Rose could keep their body temperatures up long enough to be rescued.

• James Cameron makes this shocking conclusion

  “Final verdict: Jack might have lived,” Cameron said, “but there’s a lot of variables.” 

  

  LOS ANGELES – DECEMBER 19: The movie “Titanic”, written and directed by James Cameron. Seen here from left, Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack and Kate Winslet as Rose after the Titanic has sunk. Initial USA theatrical wide release December 19, 1997. Screen capture. Paramount Pictures. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)

   

• Cameron does add this one important disclaimer

  “In a well-lit experiment in a test pool, we can’t possibly simulate the terror, the adrenaline, all the things that would have worked against them. Jack didn’t get to run a bunch of different experiments to see what worked the best. Jack’s survival might have come at the cost of her life.”

• Cameron says, he would make this one major change to Titanic if he could

  Cameron says he would’ve made Rose’s raft a LOT smaller now, knowing what he knows.

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