Benny Safdie reveals reason behind split from director brother

Duo are known for 2017’s ‘Good Time’ and 2019’s ‘Uncut Gems’

Benny Safdie has revealed that he doesn’t know if or when he’ll work with his filmmaker brother Josh again.

The duo, known as the Safdie Brothers, co-directed hit indie films Good Time (2017) starring Robert Pattinson, and Uncut Gems (2019) starring Adam Sandler.

It had previously been reported that the pair had signed on to make another film with Sandler and Megan Thee Stallion, set in the world of baseball sports memorabilia.

However, speaking to Variety, Benny said that the project is now “on pause”. Despite the uncertainty over their future, he insisted the brothers’ decision to work apart had been an amicable one.

“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.”

Benny is currently starring in The Curse alongside Nathan Fielder and Emma Stone. Last year, he also appeared as an actor in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Kelly Fremon Craig’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

Josh and Benny Safide in 2014 (Getty Images)

It was recently announced that Dwayne Johnson will play MMA fighter and UFC pioneer Mark Kerr in A24’sThe Smashing Machine, a biopic written and directed by Benny.

Kerr is a former wrestler who competed as a mixed martial artist between 1997 and 2009. During his MMA career, he was a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion, World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner, and a Pride FC competitor.

He was previously the subject of a 2003 HBO documentary, also titled The Smashing Machine after Kerr’s longtime nickname. The new film will reportedly take place around the turn of the millennium and will follow Kerr’s struggles with love and addiction as well as his exploits in the ring.

In a statement shared with Deadline, A24 acquisition executive Noah Sacco said: “Dwayne and Benny are singular talents, and their shared vision for Mark’s inspiring story is electrifying. We are deeply honored to have their trust as collaborators in bringing this incredibly special project to life.”

Johnson made his name as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star The Rock before launching his acting career.

He has gone on to become one of Hollywood’s highest-paid celebrities with his influence spreading all the way to the US senate. Last month, Johnson visited Capitol Hill in Washington DC, meeting Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin.