What happened to the Safdie brothers?

The indie filmmaking duo have decided to go their separate ways

BROTHERS Josh and Benny Safdie have worked on several high-profile films over the years, but the duo are (creatively) splitting up for future projects.

On January 4, 2024, one-half of the brotherly filmmaking duo, Benny Safdie, confirmed the split, explaining that he would be taking on Hollywood solo.

Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie attend The BAFTA Los Angeles Tea Party at the Four Seasons Hotel at Beverly Hills on January 4, 2020, in Los Angeles, CaliforniaCredit: Getty

What happened to the Safdie brothers?

The Safdie brothers are officially going their separate ways, in a devastating loss for the independent film community.

The iconic filmmaking duo have not worked on any feature films since their 2019 collaboration, Uncut Gems.

While they’ve produced several documentary and TV series under their joint production banner, Elara Pictures, it’s clear that Benny has, in recent years, broken out on his own.

Benny’s solo projects include several high-profile acting gigs.

He starred as Chris in the 2020 movie Pieces of a Woman, alongside Vanessa Kirby, Shia LaBeouf, and Sarah Snook.

He also starred as Joel Wachs in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza, appearing in an ensemble cast that included Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn, Bradley Cooper, and Tom Waits.

In 2022, he had a minor role in Claire Denis’ romantic thriller, Stars at Noon, appearing alongside Margaret Qualley, Joe Alwyn, and John C. Reilly.

In 2023, he played Margaret’s father in the coming-of-age comedy drama, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

He also starred in Christopher Nolan’s summer blockbuster epic, Oppenheimer, as the theoretical physicist and “father of the hydrogen bomb,” Edward Teller.

He most recently starred as Dougie Schecter in the Showtime and Paramount+ TV series, The Curse, alongside Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder.

The series is notably produced by Fielder, Benny, and his older brother, Josh.

Benny’s next project, a biopic on MMA fighter and UFC pioneer Mark Kerr, will be his first solo writing and directing endeavor.

The A24 film, The Smashing Machine, is set to star Dwayne Johnson as the titular character.

Who are the Safdie brothers?

The Safdie brothers are independent American directors, writers, producers, and actors.

Joshua “Josh” Safdie was born on April 3, 1984, while his younger brother, Benjamin “Benny” Safdie was born on February 24, 1986, in New York City.

The brothers, both children of divorce, spent their adolescence splitting time between their mother’s Manhattan apartment and living with their father in Queens.

Their great-uncle, Moshe Safdie, is an Israeli architect, urban planner, and author.

He is best known for designing Habitat 67, a hosing complex in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

He also designed the Jewel Changi Airport and Marina Bay Sands, both located in Singapore.

Moshe’s son and the brothers’ second cousin, Oren Safdie, is a playwright and screenwriter.

Both Safdie brothers graduated from Boston University’s College of Communication in 2007 and 2008.

After graduating, the brothers quickly became known for their indie features and gritty, frantic, anxiety-inducing filmmaking style.

Before teaming up with his brother, Josh starred in and directed his first feature film, The Pleasure of Being Robbed.

The movie premiered at the 2008 South by Southwest festival.

The brothers teamed up for their next movie, Daddy Longlegs, which won the John Cassavetes Award at the 26th Independent Spirit Awards.

The Safdie brothers also collaborated on Lenny Cooke, a documentary film following a basketball player’s highs and lows throughout his adolescence and professional career.

In 2014, they released Heaven Knows What, based on Mad Love in New York City, a book of short stories written by the film’s lead actress, Arielle Holmes.

The brothers shot to fame outside of the indie film world with their 2017 film Good Time, starring Robert Pattinson and Benny Safdie as a brotherly duo.

Their next film, Uncut Gems, was a critical and commercial success, inspired by their father’s brief stint working in Manhattan’s Diamond District.

Produced by Martin Scorsese, the film starred Adam Sandler, Julia Fox, Lakeith Stanfield, Idina Menzel, Kevin Garnett, and the Weeknd.

Since Uncut Gems, the brothers have only worked together on a few projects, largely behind-the-scenes.

They served as executive producers on the HBO TV documentary series Telemarketers, HBO’s documentary miniseries, Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God, and the Paramount+ and Showtime satirical black comedy thriller TV series, The Curse.

Benny Safdie attends The Curse All-Guild FYC Event at the Midnight Theatre on December 29, 2023, in New York CityCredit: Getty

What have they said about their split?

In an interview with Variety’s Dan Doperalski released on January 4, 2024, Benny Safdie confirmed that the brotherly filmmaking duo were going their separate ways, at least creatively.

Despite recent rumors suggesting that the brothers had some sort of feud or falling out, Benny confirmed that the split was amicable, with the duo set to pursue solo projects.

“It’s a natural progression of what we each want to explore,” he told Variety.

“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 added.

Benny also confirmed that the duo’s upcoming collaboration, an untitled project also starring Adam Sandler, is “on pause,” adding that he did not write the script or have any input into the film’s creative process.

As for whether the split is temporary, Benny himself isn’t sure.

When asked whether he’ll direct with his brother in the future, he said: “I don’t know.”

Back in a July 2023 interview with GQ, Benny first brought up the idea of the brothers’ separation.

“We work on a lot of documentaries and there’s just a constant flow of ideas.”

“It just felt like, OK, there’s things that I want to explore that don’t necessarily align right now with Josh. So it’s a divide-and-conquer mentality,” he said.

Benny added that if Josh “wants to tell this story, he can go and do that,” referring to the now-scrapped untitled Sandler project