Relatively speaking, A24 is still a young studio. It doesn’t have the history of a Disney, Universal, or Paramount. It also isn’t known for films that break the bank. However, that is changing a little, as the studio has two films seemingly coming in 2025 that will be the most expensive in the studio’s history. 

READ MORE: 2024 Fall Film Preview: 50 Movies To Watch

According to a report from Deadline, A24’s “Marty Supreme” and “The Smashing Machine” both carry $70 million budgets, which is, by far, the largest in the history of the studio.

Continue reading The Safdie Brothers’ 2 New A24 Films Are The Most Expensive In Studio History at The Playlist.

You may remember that last year, there was a lot of buzz surrounding the new Josh Safdie film that was going to star Adam Sandler. However, just when production was supposed to begin, the strikes happened. And unfortunately, a big part of the film, which was to take place at live baseball games, couldn’t be filmed when the strike ended, effectively shelving the project. However, it sounds as if Safdie and Sandler are hoping to get it going again. 

Continue reading Adam Sandler Says His Josh Safdie Baseball Film Is “Hopefully Going To Come Back” at The Playlist.

Late last year, we were all surprised to hear that Benny Safdie was teaming up with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for a new film, “The Smashing Machine.” This marks the first time Benny Safdie directed a film without his brother, and a rare instance that The Rock was starring in a movie that doesn’t have a $200 million budget. And now, less than six months later, we have our first look at the film.

Continue reading ‘The Smashing Machine’ First Look: Dwayne Johnson Is Unrecognizable In Benny Safdie’s Upcoming Sports Drama at The Playlist.

One of the most bizarre TV series to ever air since David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks: The Return,” and certainly one of the oddest shows of this decade, is Showtime’s “The Curse,” which could potentially have more in store.

Created by deadpan comedian Nathan Fielder (“Nathan For You,” “The Rehearsal”) and filmmaker Benny Safdie (“Uncut Gems”) and starring Fielder and Emma Stone (both of them also executive producers along with Safdie), “The Curse,” which premiered last fall on Showtime, is a satirical black comedy thriller.

Continue reading ‘The Curse’: Emma Stone & Nathan Fielder Suggest Bizarre Series Could Continue & Was “Mapped Out” Beyond Season 1 at The Playlist.

A “Jungle Cruise” reunion is in the works, and, no, it’s not “Jungle Cruise 2.” Instead, Variety reports that the co-leads of the Disney film may reunite for Benny Safdie‘s MMA biopic “The Smashing Machine,” with Emily Blunt in final talks to join the picture.  Dwayne Johnson was already aboard the project, Safdie’s solo directorial debut about MMA and UFC champion Mark Kerr.

Continue reading ‘The Smashing Machine’: Emily Blunt In Talks To Join Dwayne Johnson For Benny Safdie’s MMA Biopic at The Playlist.

Some shows meet their moment immediately; some slowly build a following, maybe even creating a cult audience. The latter might be the case for “The Curse,” the wild, subversive, uncomfortable, and audacious new Showtime/Paramount+ series. It came out in November, but with episodes arriving only week by week, it’s slowly been building an audience and a word-of-mouth following. And it should as it comes from actor/producer Emma Stone, actor/comedian/filmmaker Nathan Fielder, and filmmaker/actor Benny Safdie, one half of the Safdie Brothers directing duo.

Continue reading Christopher Nolan Says ‘The Curse’ Is “Unlike Anything I’ve Ever Seen On Television” In New Q&A With Benny Safdie & Nathan Fielder at The Playlist.

Another day, another rumor essentially confirmed. So, you’ll remember that in April 2022, it was reported that Adam Sandler and The Safdie Brothers (“Good Time”) were going to make a follow-up film to their critically acclaimed collaboration “Uncut Gems.” The movie, for Netflix, was supposed to shoot in the late winter of 2023 for a 2024 release. But then the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes happened and messed up all plans.

Continue reading The Safdie Brother’s Baseball Memorabilia Film Starring Adam Sandler Is “On Pause,” Says Benny Safdie at The Playlist.

Who had Benny Safdie striking out on his own, becoming a character actor, creating a hit TV show, and setting up an A24 biopic with Dwayne Johnson on their 2023 Hollywood bingo card? No one? Yeah, it’s a massive pivot for one of the Safdie Brothers, best known for their gritty, frenetic NYC-set dramas. But thanks to turns in “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret” and “Oppenheimer” and the runaway success of “the Curse” on Showtime, Safdie is one to watch in 2024 and beyond.

Continue reading Benny Safdie Teases A Possible ‘The Curse’ Season 2, A Boxing Series For HBO & Another Secret TV Show As Upcoming Projects at The Playlist.

Man, it’s wild that “The Curse,” the new Showtime series from Emma Stone, Nathan Fielder, and Benny Safdie, got made. And or, maybe another way to say it is, if/when you package three immense talents and names like the aforementioned actor, writer/director, comedian, and filmmaker, you can really go for broke and push the envelope on the medium and what the audience can withstand and bear (more of this, please!)

READ MORE: ‘The Curse’: Emma Stone & Nathan Fielder Interrogate Altruistic White Privilege In Hilariously Cringe & Excruciating Series

That’s the crux of “The Curse,” a hilariously uncomfortable limited series on Showtime/Paramount+ that debuted in November and we named one of the best shows of 2023.

Continue reading Watch The ‘Fliplanthropy’ Pilot: The Fictional HGTV Show From Emma Stone & Nathan Fielder’s ‘The Curse’ Series at The Playlist.

Sometimes there’s a sentence you didn’t think you’d ever have to actually write. Something so strange, the thought of it never crossed your mind. However, when you hear it, it makes sense and suddenly gets you really, really excited. With that preamble out of the way, here you go—Benny Safdie is going to write and direct a new A24 sports drama starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Let that sink in for a second.

Continue reading ‘The Smashing Machine’: Dwayne Johnson To Star In Benny Safdie’s New Film From A24 at The Playlist.

Showtime’s new limited series “The Curse,” comes from the inspired, perhaps unlikely, trio of actor/producer Emma Stone (“Poor Things”), comedian/filmmaker Nathan Fielder (“The Rehearsal”), and writer/director Benny Safdie—half of the directing duo The Safdie Brothers, known for “Uncut Gems.” But the true shorthand to understanding the hilarious, odd, sometimes downright bizarre series is its overwhelming sense of cringe-worthy discomfort.

Continue reading ‘The Curse’ Review: Emma Stone & Nathan Fielder Interrogate Altruistic White Privilege In Hilariously Cringe & Excruciating Series at The Playlist.

Well there’s a first time for everything; and in the case of “The Curse,” it’s surprising that it’s the first TV series to be part of the premiere lineup for the New York Film Festival. But Variety reports that Nathan Fielder & Benny Safdie‘s show is the first to do so, and NYFF artistic director Dennis Lim couldn’t be happier about it.

Continue reading ‘The Curse’: Nathan Fielder & Benny Safdie’s Show Becomes First TV Series To Premiere At NYFF, Wows Festival Artistic Director Dennis Lim at The Playlist.

Yep, that’s cursed, alright. That idea, a hex, a curse, the concept, the phrase, is explored in delightfully weird ways in “The Curse,” easily one of our most anticipated series of the year that’s almost upon us. From Oscar-winner Emma Stone, comedian Nathan Fielder (“The Rehearsal”), and indie filmmaker/actor Benny Safdie—all of whom star and executive produce—“The Curse” looks exceptionally wild, strange, and funny.

Continue reading ‘The Curse’ Trailer: Emma Stone & Nathan Fielder Host A Hexed Home Improvement Series Co-Starring Benny Safdie at The Playlist.

Benny Safdie‘s turn to acting in recent years has been a pleasant surprise. But now he’s branching out into TV, too. And his first TV credit gets a world premiere at the New York Film Festival, boasting Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder as the show’s leads.

READ MORE: Fall 2023 TV Preview: Over 35+ Most Anticipated Shows To Watch

“The Curse,” ready to hit Showtime and Paramount+ later this Fall, stars Stone and Fielder as a newlywed couple who co-star on a new HGTV series “Flipanthropy,” run by Safdie’s producer.

Continue reading ‘The Curse’ Teaser: New Showtime Series With Emma Stone, Nathan Fielder & Benny Safdie Premieres On Showtime On November 10 at The Playlist.

Very high on our list of the Most Anticipated TV Series of 2023, Showtime’s “The Curse” finally has a release date and will air November 10 on Paramount+ with Showtime ahead of its on-air Showtime debut on November 12, the network announced. From producers and writers Emma Stone, comedian Nathan Fielder, and Safdie Brothers filmmaker Benny Safdie—all of whom star, “The Curse,” is a bizarre genre-bending comedy series/riff on the Home Improvement series.

Continue reading ‘The Curse’: Nathan Fielder & Emma Stone’s Odd & Bizarre Home Improvement Comedy Premieres Nov 10 On Paramount+ [New Photos] at The Playlist.

A film adapted from a book entitled “American Prometheus” was not going to be subtle about its inspirations. Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” offers nothing short of a mythological retelling of American history as modernism’s end. At its core is Cillian Murphy’s J. Robert Oppenheimer, rendered in all his complications as savior and sinner, redeemer and rebel. Just try and distill the detailed rendering of the famed theoretical physicist and creator of the atomic bomb into a neat fable.

Continue reading ‘Oppenheimer’ Review: Christopher Nolan Majestically Turns the Manhattan Project into American Myth at The Playlist.

The last couple of years haven’t been kind to the biggest brother duos in filmmaking, the Coens and the Safdies. Previously, we saw that both Coen brothers have gone on to split as a duo and direct their own feature films. (Though, there’s hope of a reunion soon enough.) As for the Safdies, we now have confirmation that Benny and Josh Safdie are going their separate ways in the near future, as it’s only the latter of which who is directing a forthcoming feature reteaming with Adam Sandler.

Continue reading Benny Safdie Confirms He Won’t Direct With His Brother On New Film Starring Adam Sandler at The Playlist.

When it comes to young adult literature, there are few books as universally beloved and influential for preteen girls as “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” Judy Blume’s seminal 1970 novel. Tackling everything from boys to periods to religion, “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” was a groundbreaking exploration of so-called taboo topics that plague all young girls. In fact, it’s so ubiquitous with female adolescence that it’s surprising no one’s adapted Blume’s book sooner.

Continue reading ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’ Review: Kelly Fremon Craig’s Adaptation Pays Due Diligence To Judy Blume’s Cherished Novel at The Playlist.

How can an 11-year-old overcome the scary and uncertain time that is adolescence? Judy Blume’s 1970 novel “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” explores topics that generations of young women have faced. After decades in print, the beloved classic is getting the big-screen treatment. The film follows Margaret as she navigates a major family move, makes new friends, questions religion, and awaits her first period.

READ MORE: 52 Films Directed By Women To Watch In 2023

The project relies on a talented cast to tell this story with sensitivity and realism.

Continue reading ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’ Trailer: Rachel McAdams, Benny Safdie & Abby Ryder Fortson Star In Judy Blume’s Classic Coming-Of-Age Adaptation at The Playlist.

“The Stars at Noon” finds the French filmmaker Claire Denis shooting in Panama doubling for Nicaragua; directing a cast of Yanks, Brits, and assorted Central Americans; and working from a script switching between Spanish and English. Internationally coproduced Towers of Babel such as this aren’t at all uncommon at the Cannes Film Festival, but the errors in translation all over this disappointing foreign-relations drama run deeper than simple differences of ethnicity or language.

Continue reading ‘The Stars At Noon’ Review: Margaret Qualley & Joe Alwyn Sweat It Out In Claire Denis’ Seductive Misfire [Cannes] at The Playlist.

For those of us who hold our breath in between announcements from the Criterion Collection regarding DVD releases, anticipating just how much more expansive and exciting their releases can get, their announcement for August’s slate will be anything but disappointing. Later this summer, the Criterion Collection invites us to explore places as disparate as the gritty underbelly of New York City, the 19 Century American West, and rural Ethiopia, amongst other nightmarish and magical locales.

Continue reading Criterion’s August Releases Include Early Safdie Brothers Outing ‘Daddy Longlegs,’ ‘Buck And The Preacher,’ And More at The Playlist.

Did you know that despite having a career that has spanned four decades, celebrated French filmmaker Claire Denis has only had four of her films ever premiere at the Cannes Film Festival? And it’s been 24 years since Denis had a film debut in competition—1998’s “Chocolat” with Isaach de Bankolé. That finally changes this spring when Denis’ new film, “Stars At Noon” premieres and puts her back in the competition frame.

Continue reading ‘Stars At Noon’: Benny Safdie, John C. Reilly Also Star In Claire Denis’ Cannes Drama at The Playlist.

Spring is in the air, cinephiles are drunk with rampant Cannes speculation, and maybe we can get more Safdie Brothers films starring Adam Sandler as a treat. While this trio, filmmakers Benny and Josh Safdie and the Sandman gave us the terrific thriller “Uncut Gems” in 2019—where Sandler played the Jewish-American jeweler Howard Ratner, a man with a terrible gambling addiction—there could be more where that came from.

Continue reading Uncut Jams? Adam Sandler & The Safdie Brothers Reportedly Working On A New Project at The Playlist.

How do you get asses in seats for a major event movie that’s not really a blockbuster because it’s a thriller of another kind? If you’re filmmaker Christopher Nolan and you’re making what is essentially a drama that’s being sold as a summer event blockbuster that means casting the shit out of your film. So, a massive cast is amassing around Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” film, about the making of the Atom Bomb the devastated Hiroshima, Nagasaki and ended WWII.

Continue reading Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, Benny Safdie Added To Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ at The Playlist.

As you might have read, Paul Thomas Anderson has finally unveiled a first look at his new film—though only in select theaters—now officially titled “Licorice Pizza.” Luckily, by attending a 35mmm double feature at American Cinematheque’s Los Feliz 3 location, yours truly was accidentally privy to the honor of seeing the trailer for PTA’s majestic-looking new movie. Twice.

Reportedly first shown in front of “American Graffiti,” in London, the film previously known as “Soggy Bottom” is clearly the auteur’s foray into the rebel teen genre.

Continue reading ‘Licorice Pizza’ Trailer Breakdown: An Intimate Mash-Up Of ‘Inherent Vice’ & ‘Boogie Nights’ at The Playlist.