As a prepubescent teen watching the likes of Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, it was hard not to consider the roles played by Adam Sandler so iconic that they deserved an Oscar. The man who gifted us lines like “It’s all in the hips” and “Why don’t I go eat some hay? I can make things out of clay, or lay by the bay…I just may. Whadd’ya say” may have been overlooked by the Academy, but these characters were immortalised in pop culture so as to remain popular today. Over the years though, Sandler’s comedic prowess has seen him take on all manner of movies in the Kids and Family department, only for most to be widely panned by critics. It made his return to a dramatic role in 2019’s Uncut Gems a significant one, as the actor showed he isn’t a one-trick pony but rather a seasoned professional.
Uncut Gems, directed by Benny and Josh Safdie of The Safdie Brothers, saw Sandler give the performance of his career. Most hoped he would be nominated for an Oscar and receive the recognition he deserved, and while he was clearly robbed by the Academy, the Sandler we saw on screen was one we can’t help but want to see again. Thankfully, it appears we just might as it’s been revealed Sandler and The Safdie Brothers are currently “cooking up another project,” according to Indiewire.
Sandler himself has even verified the news, saying he’s “going to do another movie with the Safdie Brothers.” But given the busy schedule for both teams involved, it might be some time before we get to see the final product. “They’re working hard on it,” says Sandler. “Their work ethic is bananas. They’re always working, always writing, always thinking.”
Despite only first collaborating on Uncut Gems, the chemistry between actor and brother-director-duo was so natural that Sandler can’t help but want to do it again. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he explained that immediately upon wrapping Uncut Gems, talk of working with each other on another project began. “We talk about it constantly, man. I love these guys, I love ‘em. I mean, they’re incredible filmmakers…Of course, I would die to work with them again, because it’s a brand new feeling.”
Sandler went on to add, “But the funniest thing is when I would say to the Safdies, ‘Your future is so bright,’ they didn’t want to talk about that. They were like, ‘I just like Uncut Gems, man.’ They just were so deep in it.”
Details remain scarce on the new project, but this is one creative collaboration we’re looking forward to see reunited. As for the Safdies themselves, since Uncut Gems their directorial output has been relatively scarce, as both have turned their attention to other projects, namely in the acting space. Recently, Benny Safdie has been busy with starring roles in Disney+’s highly anticipated Obi-Wan Kenobi series, while also nabbing roles in critically-acclaimed films like Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza and Kelly Fremon Craig’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. If all that wasn’t enough, he’s also set to share the screen with the likes of Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt and Rami Malek on Christopher Nolan’s next blockbuster, Oppenheimer.
