The Real Reason The Safdie Brothers Broke Up
Together, brothers Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie have directed short films, a full-length basketball documentary, and multiple critically acclaimed features. Their co-directing work arguably peaked with the Adam Sandler drama "Uncut Gems," which earned numerous accolades after its premiere in 2019. However, partway through 2023, Benny Safdie dropped out of co-directing a spiritual successor starring Sandler, now directed solely by Josh Safdie.
The reason for this split was rumored to involve bad blood between the brothers; Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider claimed this to be the case on his podcast, "The Hot Mic." In a December 2023 episode, Sneider not only hinted at irreconcilable differences between the brothers but suggested that the upcoming Sandler film is no longer in the works. In response, Benny Safdie shot down this notion in a Variety interview that acknowledges talk of their falling out but ultimately attempts to debunk those rumors.
"It's a natural progression of what we each want to explore," he said of their split. "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."
The future of the Safdie brothers as collaborators remains uncertain
While Benny Safdie may have denied a rift between himself and Josh Safdie, it's always possible they're not on speaking terms in their personal lives and don't want their issues to surface publicly. Nevertheless, the only official word on the matter comes from Benny Safdie, who calls the split mutual.
He began describing their split as amicable in July 2023 after he departed the untitled Adam Sandler film. "It just felt like, okay, there's things that I want to explore that don't necessarily align right now with Josh," he told GQ. "He wants to tell this story, he can go and do that. I'm going to go and do a couple of other things. It seems like a natural progression for how things have happened."
At that point, Benny Safdie was clear he and Josh Safdie still ran Elara Pictures together. Now, the state of their working relationship seems murkier. Notably, Benny Safdie confirmed that the Sandler movie is on hiatus and told Variety he's unsure whether or not he'll direct alongside his brother again. Elara is also absent from the production credits of Benny Safdie's upcoming collaboration with Dwayne Johnson. So, while there may not be any ill will behind their split, it appears the Safdies will remain separate entities for the foreseeable future.