Being 'King Of The World'

Tuesday, the "Titanic" three-disc special edition DVD is being released. For The Early Show's Home Theater, entertainment contributor and People magazine Senior Editor Jess Cagle speaks with the film's creative maestro, James Cameron, as well as Leonardo DiCaprio. The following is his report.

"It was pretty intense the whole time. We basically thought we were doomed," Cameron says. "And so the movie is about how you comport yourself when you face doom, and that's kind of like what it was like behind the scenes."

There were jokes in the press that everyone knew how the movie ended — the ship sinks. But Cameron says that's one of the secrets to its success

"The way it really works is that knowing doom is coming allows you to sit through two hours of what is, essentially, two hours of costume drawing room dialogue," Cameron says. "At the time that you would be collecting your coat on a normal film, the ship hits the iceberg and there's still an hour to go, so that never would have worked if you didn't feel that cloud of doom over the whole thing. So it actually worked to our favor."

"Titanic" earned almost $2 billion worldwide and won 11 Academy awards, including three for Cameron, the film's writer, director and producer.

It also made an international superstar of Leonardo DiCaprio. He was already an Oscar nominated actor, but Cameron still made him audition.

"Leo didn't want to read," Cameron says. "Well I said you can't have the part if you don't read. He said, 'Really?' I said 'Yeah, really.' So he did read for me and then I saw it. There was never a doubt in my mind. Unfortunately, there was then doubt in Leo's mind. It then took me four months to talk him into doing the film."

It has been reported that DiCaprio went on to regret making the film that brought so much attention to the very private actor, but he vehemently denies that.

"Everywhere I travel, people know that film," he says. "That's what your object is as an actor — to be a part of pieces of art work like that, that live on, and on, through the ages, and that's one of them. I never said that, and I'm extremely honored to be a part of that movie."

The new three-disc special edition DVD has over three hours of special features.

"It's all the things people have been asking for over the years," Cameron says. "We just sort of sat back and made of list of everything people wanted and put it in. I would have to say it's more like a feast and the real question is 'Where do you start?' "

Also being released Tuesday is a special three-disc edition of the beloved family film "The Wizard Of Oz."