James Cameron has conducted 'new investigation' into Titanic door theory

James Cameron has staged a "new investigation" into the Titanic door debate.

Ever since the blockbuster was released in 1997, fans have questioned whether Leonardo DiCaprio's Jack would have been able to survive the freezing waters if he held onto the broken door alongside Kate Winslet's Rose during the emotional concluding scene.

But during an appearance at the Television Critics Association panel last week, Cameron revealed that he has conducted a "forensic investigation" into the fan theory as part of the upcoming National Geographic special, Titanic: 25 Years Later.

"A new investigation we've just done will settle this fan-based question about Jack and Rose and a piece of floating debris, which everyone calls a door," he said, according to USA TODAY. "It's, technically, not a door. It's a piece of wood panelling from the first-class cabin."

Cameron went on to note that he and a team of scientists undertook four different tests and "came to some pretty hard and fast conclusions", though refused to share the outcome.

"We weren't trying to prove or disprove anything, we're just trying to say, 'If you do this, does it make it better?'" the filmmaker commented.

In December, British actress Kate offered her take on the fan theory for the first time.

"I have to be honest, I actually don't believe that we would have survived if we had both gotten on that door. I think that he could have fit, but it would have tipped... and it would not have been a sustainable idea," she said during an interview for the Happy Sad Confused podcast. "So, you heard it here for the first time. Yes, he could have fit on that door, but it would not have stayed afloat. It wouldn't."

Titanic: 25 Years Later is set to debut on 5 February.