Martin Scorsese, out with new film, explains what interested him in Osage murders: "This is something more insidious"

Filmmaker Martin Scorsese's newest film, "Killers of the Flower Moon," premieres in theaters Friday, drawing attention to the murders and manipulation of members of the Osage Nation in the 1920s over their oil-rich lands.  

The Osage tragedy, as depicted in the film, unravels a tale of how a Native American tribe fell victim to the sinister greed of those they considered friends, as businessmen violently betrayed them.

"What interested me in this story is that it wasn't one specific massacre. It wasn't one specific event. This is something more insidious. This is something that comes from the inside and it grows around you like a curse, or kind of a virus, or cancer," Scorsese told "CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King. "And the cancer is the settlers, the outsiders, the European Americans."

The Apple Original Film, which is distributed by Paramount Pictures, a division of CBS News' parent company Paramount Global, stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro — marking De Niro's tenth collaboration with Scorsese. Their creative partnership has weathered decades, beginning with iconic projects like "Taxi Driver."

Reflecting on their longstanding relationship, Scorsese said, "I guess it is a code, and a lot of it is nonverbal. And I learned that in 'Taxi Driver.'"

"Killers of the Flower Moon" is Scorsese's 27th feature film. And even with his 81st birthday around the corner, he shows no signs of slowing down. He even jests about his unexpected appearances on TikTok, thanks to his 23-year-old daughter Francesca. "We're a good comedy team, the two of us," he laughed.

"Killers of the Flower Moon" runs nearly 3.5 hours long — a gamble Scorsese was willing to take. "We knew this would be a bigger picture," he said. "And I thought we would take a chance, and why not give the respect to movie, cinema, whatever you wanna call it, that you give to theater."

The film has already created buzz since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where Scorsese received a standing ovation.

"We took it in. And it wasn't congratulatory. It was just like, 'Wow. What a journey,'" he said.