Robert De Niro tried, but failed, to persuade his longtime collaborator Martin Scorsese to direct the 1999 crime comedy Analyze This, revealing that Scorsese was committed to Bringing Out the Dead at the time and unable to take it on. The film instead went to Harold Ramis, who went on to make it a box office success, spawning a 2002 sequel, Analyze That. The anecdote highlights the depth of De Niro and Scorsese's decades-long partnership, one built on mutual trust and understanding, even as this particular project marked a rare instance where De Niro's influence over his friend didn't sway the outcome.

De Niro, who starred alongside Billy Crystal in the mob therapy comedy, said he was wary of handing the project to a director who might make it "too jokey" without understanding its nuances, which is why he pushed for Scorsese. Crystal, who developed the script over several years with writers including Kenneth Lonergan and Peter Tolan before sending a final draft to De Niro, recalled that the pair even considered co-directing it themselves. Scorsese's unavailability meant the project moved elsewhere, with Ramis ultimately delivering the hit film and its successful sequel.