The director duo of the Safdie Brothers, known for their work on Uncut Gems and Good Time, have split.
Younger brother Benny confirmed the news in a recent story with Variety and shared that the breakup was peaceful. “It’s a natural progression of what we each want to explore,” he said. “I will direct on my own, and I will explore things that I want to explore. I want that freedom right now in my life.”
He also explained that he will no longer be helming the Uncut Gems followup with brother Josh, which he reveals is currently “on pause.” Benny clarified that he was not involved in co-writing the script and “hasn’t been a meaningful part of the creative process,” answering that he “[doesn’t] know” whether he will ever return to co-direct with his brother.
The untitled Uncut Gems followup film was set to take place in the world of baseball and sports memorabilia, and see the return of Adam Sandler and the addition of Megan Thee Stallion. Production was supposedly scheduled to being in Summer 2023.
Benny Safdie recently starred in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer as Edward Teller, known as the father of the hydrogen bomb and the man who gave a negative testimony in the atomic bomb creator’s 1954 security hearing. He also co-created and co-starred in The Curse alongside Nathan Fielder, the satirical black comedy series with Emma Stone.
