Leonardo DiCaprio reveals reason for months-long debates with Martin Scorsese before filming

Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese gave an inside look at their creative process.

On December 10, the 51-year-old actor and film producer and the 83-year-old filmmaker brought their movie-making expertise to Time’s “A Year in Time” event in NYC.

They revealed that over the years, starting with Gangs of New York in 2002, their collaboration has strengthened and become more trusting.

The Titanic actor explained that a core part of their process involves “debating for months” over films and screenplays, calling it a form of “cinema education.”

"[It's] lots of questions and lots of playing devil's advocate about a way to approach things that may not be the most obvious direction," DiCaprio continued. 

"We're doing that on the new film that we're doing now, but it's been absolutely one of the most profound learning experiences."

“It’s a cinema education,” he said, adding that their current project, What Happens at Night, has been shaped by vivid discussion and exchange of thoughts.

Scorsese added that his process begins quietly, “alone in a room,” orchestrating shots while following the script and listening to music.

The Goodfellas director also noted how their collaboration bridges a 32-year age gap, allowing them to work as true contemporaries.

"We have this ability to collaborate together, and it's based on trust and love," he explained. "We go to places sometimes that at times feel almost impossible."

Their next collaboration, What Happens at Night, begins filming in February.