As Titanic sails back into theaters in celebration of its 25th anniversary, a brand-new featurette has been released by Paramount Pictures, which showcases the cast and creative team behind the film reflecting on its production and the legacy it continues to endure.

“We were looking at all the young actresses up and coming, and Kate‘s name kept coming up. ‘No, you really need to meet her.’ I thought, alright, I’ll meet her,” said director James Cameron about the casting of Kate Winslet. Producer Jon Landau added to this, stating the film’s screen tests were set up with old-fashioned sets and costumes, likely attributing to a more authentic performance. In addition to this, the featurette showcases old behind-the-scenes footage from the film’s casting stage, which showcases Winslet‘s screen test that solidified her role as Rose.

Cameron further stated that Leonardo DiCaprio “knocked it out of the park” as Jack, which he said was fully showcased by his impressive test screening. Winslet added to this, reflecting on her on-screen chemistry with the actor, which earned critical acclaim and took the world by storm. “Once I started working with Leo, we were able to kind of find our own rhythm. He had this effervescent energy that was really magnetic. I remember thinking, ‘oh, this is going to be fun. We’re definitely going to get along.’ And we just really did,” she said.

“People see them together, and they feel that love again. People associate Titanic with a great love story. I think the reason Titanic has stood the test of time, Jim [Cameron] wrote a story that itself is timeless. The issues that it deals with, the cross-classed love story, it’s still relevant today,” Landau said about the film’s legacy.

Debuting in theaters during the holiday season of 1997, Titanic became a worldwide cultural phenomenon, becoming the first film to surpass $1 billion at the global box office, where it remained as the highest-grossing film of all time until Avatar, another film directed by Cameron. Alongside its financial achievements, the film also received critical acclaim, with many praising its on-screen spectacle and emotionally engaging story. The momentum for Titanic didn’t stop there, however, as the film continued to dominate awards season, earning 11 Oscar wins, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Dramatic Score, and Best Original Song, among many others.

Following the resurgence of 3D after the release of Avatar, Titanic returned to theaters in 2012 remastered in immersive 3D, which pushed the film past $2 billion, the second film in history to achieve such a feat. Cameron further added the importance of the theatrical experience for the film, stating in the featurette, “I believe that there’s something that happens in a theater, and you’re sitting in that dark, time just goes away.” Now remastered in stunning 4K Ultra HD, audiences can finally step back into the ill-fated ship and re-experience the magic and jaw-dropping spectacle in a way they have never seen before.

Titanic triumphantly returns to theaters on February 10. Check out the official featurette for the film below.

via Collider