2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards on February 08, 2020 in Santa Monica, California – Picture: Getty Images
Adam Sandler and the Safdie Brothers are teaming up on a new feature film coming exclusively to Netflix globally. Here’s the lowdown on what we know so far about the project.
First announced in October 2022, the Safdie Brothers (comprising of Benny and Josh Safdie) will be writing, producing and directing a brand new movie bound exclusively for Netflix.
The trio worked together on Uncut Gems for A24, released in 2020 to rave reviews. The project still resides on Netflix outside the United States as a Netflix Original title, but in the United States, the movie sadly departed the service last May.
Alongside their work on this new Adam Sandler Netflix project, the Safdie Brothers are also working on a new comedy series via A24 Television scheduled to release on Showtime, The Curse. Both serve as executive producers. Filming for the series took place throughout 2022, but no release date has been set.
What’s the new Safdie Brothers Netflix movie about?
Details on what exactly the new movie is about are still extremely slim.
When the project was first announced, it was only said to be “in the world of sports,” whereas that’s since been refined to “Set in the world of high-end sports card collecting.”
We’ve heard the movie specifically is about Baseball cards in New York City during the 1990s.
Who will star in the new Safdie Brothers Netflix movie?
Adam Sandler in Hustle – Picture: Netflix
Adam Sandler was the first to be announced for the project, but who he’ll play in the title is unclear.
Of course, Sandler calls Netflix his home exclusively now, with many upcoming projects in the works and most of his output from the last decade available exclusively on the service.
In November 2022, at the Gotham Awards, Adam Sandler was asked about the upcoming project by Variety’s Marc Malkin and first asked about how they top Uncut Gems, to which he responded:
“I don’t know – we’ll see what happens. I know I’m going to have a different look than what I had. I know they [Safdie Brothers] send me pictures of a look that I’m going to have and I can’t say I’m going to look that handsome in it.”
You can see the full clip posted via Variety’s Twitter here:
Adam Sandler teases his role in the next Safdie Brothers film. #GothamAwards https://t.co/Zr7PrBepzi pic.twitter.com/CucLLP02lM
— Variety (@Variety) November 29, 2022
We’ve also heard that Benicio del Toro is or, at one point, was eyed for a role in the forthcoming movie. Best known for movies like Sicario and The Usual Suspects, the veteran is also set to appear in the Netflix Original movie, Reptile, due for release in 2023.
Daniel Richtman has also reported that Gael García Bernal, the Mexican actor best known for Werewolf by Night, Coco and Old, is also in talks for a role.
Netflix did not respond to a request for comment on the potential casting of Benicio del Toro for the project.
We’ve also found an open casting call which is believed to be attached to the upcoming Safdie movie (it matches the production dates, and the casting company, jv8inc, worked on Uncut Gems).
They’re casting for two roles:
“MOOKIE – Mookie is an 11 year old white boy. He is very overweight and on a strict diet. He’s bullied on a regular basis. Privately his sense of humor can make you laugh, but his vulnerability will make you cry. NOT ATHLETIC BUT LOVES SPORTS. BEING A FAN OF BASEBALL IS A PLUS BUT NOT A REQUIREMENT. CAN BE BASED ANYWHERE IN THE U.S.
MULLIN – Mullin is an 11 year old white boy. He’s intense, intimidating and gets what he wants. Most popular kid in his school. Very athletic and specifically very good at baseball. MUST BE ABLE TO PLAY BASEBALL WELL. MUST BE BASED IN THE NY TRI-STATE AREA.”
When will the movie begin production?
In a VanityFair interview, Sandler originally stated that the movie was due to “supposed to start in the late winter.”
When asked about whether he expects the filming schedule and time on set to be intense, Sandler said:
“Yeah, because of how much these guys care. And how much I don’t want to let them down. And I see how hard they work, and just like when I’m working on my comedies with my friends, it means a lot to us. Every joke means a lot. The Safdie boys, every word means a lot to them, every frame of the movie means a lot. So I don’t want to walk through anything. I care about it, and I respect those guys so much.”
One production listing on ProductionList.com, states that filming was due to be underway on the project from April 3rd, 2023, but it’s unclear whether that’ll be the case.
Newer listings point to June 2023 filming start date to August 2023 in New York City.
That’s all we have for now. Let us know in the comments if you’re looking forward to watching the Adam Sandler Safdie Brothers reunion in the comments down below.