Leonardo DiCarpio’s $194M Historical Epic Gangs of New York Is Heading to a New Streaming Home 24 Years Later

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With Leonardo DiCaprio’s new movie generating buzz as we approach Spring 2026, it’s a good moment to revisit some of his older, lesser-known films. Many viewers might remember Gangs of New York, a raw and realistic movie set in the 1860s, as one such example.

Leonardo DiCaprio, the famous actor from Los Angeles, gained widespread recognition in 2002 playing Amsterdam Vallon in Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York. The film, which starred acting greats like Daniel Day-Lewis and Liam Neeson, also helped make Cameron Diaz a star.

Nearly 25 years after its original release, the film Gangs of New York is coming to Starz on March 1, 2026.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s early career really took off with films like Catch Me If You Can, where he starred alongside Tom Hanks, and after the huge success of Titanic in 1997. He also benefited greatly from working with Daniel Day-Lewis on Gangs of New York, learning important acting techniques even before filming began.

Daniel Day-Lewis Showed Leonardo DiCaprio How to Be Legendary

So, getting Daniel Day-Lewis on board as Billy the Butcher was a huge win – I’ll tell you how we managed that later! But then we quickly realized we were dealing with a seriously committed actor. He becomes the character, you know? And that was a little daunting because my character, Valen, was all about getting revenge on Billy for killing his dad. It was going to be intense, to say the least!

Leonardo DiCaprio remembered greeting Daniel Day-Lewis with a cheerful ‘Morning, Danny!’ but Day-Lewis simply responded with a grunt. DiCaprio instantly realized they were going to have a serious working relationship. He didn’t speak much to Day-Lewis over the next nine months of filming, as Day-Lewis remained completely immersed in his role as Bill the Butcher. DiCaprio described it as a valuable learning experience, impressed by Day-Lewis’s constant dedication to staying in character.

It’s fascinating to consider the ‘butterfly effect’ and how different casting for Bill the Butcher – if Daniel Day-Lewis hadn’t played the role – might have changed Leonardo DiCaprio’s career trajectory. Even a small change like that could have had a ripple effect on his development as an actor.

Gangs of New York Is Underhyped, Underrated

It’s hard to picture Gangs of New York without Daniel Day-Lewis’s powerful performance as Bill the Butcher – a role he made uniquely his own. Surprisingly, he almost didn’t get the part! Martin Scorsese had to convince Leonardo DiCaprio to persuade Day-Lewis to come out of retirement and take the role.

We were discussing who should play the amazing role of Bill the Butcher. Several actors were mentioned, and someone – possibly Marty – suggested Daniel Day-Lewis. Everyone immediately pointed out that he was retired and working as a shoemaker in Italy. Scorsese then asked me to talk to him, saying he wasn’t sure if Daniel was even interested in returning to acting and wanted me to find out.

In the end, everything worked out perfectly.

Despite not being a huge financial success for Miramax – it earned $193.8 million, but cost over $100 million to make and another tens of millions to promote – Gangs of New York was well-received by both critics and audiences and remains a compelling film today.

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2026-02-23 04:06