Adam Sandler Confirms He’s Reuniting with Uncut Gems Directors Safdie Brothers for Another Film

Looks like Adam Sandler isn’t quite ready to give up the quest for an Academy Award after all. The comedy icon came agonizingly close to his first Oscar nomination in 2019 for Uncut Gems, but was ultimately snubbed in a surprising decision by Academy voters. Now, he’s confirmed that he’ll be getting back on the horse, making another film—presumably another blood pressure-rising drama or thriller—with Uncut Gems directors Josh and Benny Safdie. No word on Julia Fox’s involvement just yet.

“They’re working hard on it,” said Sandler in reference to his next film with the Safdie brothers, known for their stress-inducing crime thrillers. “Their work ethic is bananas. They’re always working, always writing, always thinking. I don’t know what I can tell you, but it’s gonna be very exciting. It’s different.”

And that’s … pretty much all we know for now, honestly, but the film geeks in the house will simply be excited for the next entry in the Safdie canon, after Sandler’s turn in Uncut Gems and Robert Pattinson’s work in 2017’s Good Time. In Uncut Gems, Sandler played basketball obsessive and compulsive gambler Howard Ratner, whose life and business spirals out of control due to his inability to stop his own self-destructive behavior. And also, Kevin Garnett was there.

The film was a great critical success, and many industry observers pegged the A24 film as a likely winner of multiple Oscar statuettes. However, like last year’s The Green Knight, Uncut Gems ended up entirely shunned from Academy Award contention. Will the Safdie’s next film share the same fate? Or will the groundswell of their support finally mean their work receives the awards show attention it has deserved? Either way, we’ll be rooting for Sandler to break through, because seeing him make films like this is a hell of a lot more interesting than watching whatever garbage he’s churned out for Netflix lately.