The Safdie Brothers and Nathan Fielder Team Up for Showtime Comedy Series ‘The Curse’

Nathan Fielder and “Uncut Gems” directors Benny and Josh Safdie are bringing their talents to Showtime, which has given the green light to a pilot for “The Curse.”

Deadline reported that the half-hour comedy series, co-written by Benny and Fielder (“Nathan For You”) and directed by the Safdie brothers, will center on a mysterious curse that disturbs the relationship of a married couple who star in a fictional HGTV show. Fielder is expected to play the husband, while Benny will play the producer of the fictional show. Fielder and the Safdie Brothers will executive produce the pilot, which will be produced by Showtime.

Additional details about the series, including additional casting and a release date, are still under wraps. A Showtime representative declined to comment.

The Showtime pickup continues what has been a prolific few months for the Safdie brothers, whose Adam Sandler-led “Uncut Gems” became a smash critical and commercial hit. IndieWire’s Eric Kohn lauded the Safdie brothers’ abilities to create nuanced and flawed characters in his effusive “Uncut Gems” review last year. The drama was nominated for an array of awards and the Safdie brothers won the Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Director. “The Curse” will serve as the Safdie brothers’ first television venture.

As for Fielder, the comedian and actor was recently nominated for an Emmy for his directing work on Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Who Is America?” Fielder also signed a one-year overall deal at HBO last year which will see him executive produce half-hour documentary series “How To…With John Wilson.” Fielder will also star, write, and direct an untitled comedy pilot for HBO, though details about that project are still unavailable.

“The Curse” will need to be picked up to series after the pilot process is completed, but Showtime has already announced the impending return of several of its popular comedy series. An eleventh and final season of “Shameless” will hit the network in mid-2020, and “Work in Progress” was also renewed in January.

Showtime also formally announced its deal with recent Oscar-winner Taika Waititi, who’s on board to direct and co-write the horror-comedy series, “The Auteur,” starring Jude Law. The series is officially in development and Showtime has ordered several scripts.

The premium network’s other comedy pilots include the Vanessa Bayer-led “Big Deal” and the bluntly titled “How To Make Love To A Black Woman (Who May Be Working Through Some Sh*t).”

The Safdie Brothers and Nathan Fielder Team Up for Showtime Comedy Series ‘The Curse’

Nathan Fielder and “Uncut Gems” directors Benny and Josh Safdie are bringing their talents to Showtime, which has given the green light to a pilot for “The Curse.”

Deadline reported that the half-hour comedy series, co-written by Benny and Fielder (“Nathan For You”) and directed by the Safdie brothers, will center on a mysterious curse that disturbs the relationship of a married couple who star in a fictional HGTV show. Fielder is expected to play the husband, while Benny will play the producer of the fictional show. Fielder and the Safdie Brothers will executive produce the pilot, which will be produced by Showtime.

Additional details about the series, including additional casting and a release date, are still under wraps. A Showtime representative declined to comment.

The Showtime pickup continues what has been a prolific few months for the Safdie brothers, whose Adam Sandler-led “Uncut Gems” became a smash critical and commercial hit. IndieWire’s Eric Kohn lauded the Safdie brothers’ abilities to create nuanced and flawed characters in his effusive “Uncut Gems” review last year. The drama was nominated for an array of awards and the Safdie brothers won the Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Director. “The Curse” will serve as the Safdie brothers’ first television venture.

As for Fielder, the comedian and actor was recently nominated for an Emmy for his directing work on Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Who Is America?” Fielder also signed a one-year overall deal at HBO last year which will see him executive produce half-hour documentary series “How To…With John Wilson.” Fielder will also star, write, and direct an untitled comedy pilot for HBO, though details about that project are still unavailable.

“The Curse” will need to be picked up to series after the pilot process is completed, but Showtime has already announced the impending return of several of its popular comedy series. An eleventh and final season of “Shameless” will hit the network in mid-2020, and “Work in Progress” was also renewed in January.

Showtime also formally announced its deal with recent Oscar-winner Taika Waititi, who’s on board to direct and co-write the horror-comedy series, “The Auteur,” starring Jude Law. The series is officially in development and Showtime has ordered several scripts.

The premium network’s other comedy pilots include the Vanessa Bayer-led “Big Deal” and the bluntly titled “How To Make Love To A Black Woman (Who May Be Working Through Some Sh*t).”

After Oscar Win, Taika Waititi Eyes a Gory, Psychedelic Hollywood Satire Starring Jude Law

After winning the Oscar for Best Adapted screenplay for his Nazi satire “Jojo Rabbit,” Taika Waititi has reportedly signed on to co-write, executive produce, and direct some episodes of a limited series from Showtime, “The Auteur.”

The series, which is still in development, would see Waititi adapting the psychedelic graphic novel of the same name by James Callahan and Rick Spears about a filmmaker who enters a downward spiral after making one of Hollywood’s biggest-ever bombs; Jude Law is in talks to star as the main character. (Via Variety.)

Peter Warren (“Ghost Team”) will co-write the show with Waititi. Law and Eric Gitter of Closed on Mondays (“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”) are also executive producing.

The graphic novel was published in 2014 by Oni Press, publisher of “Scott Pilgrim,” and adaptations of “Clerks,” “Invader Zim,” and “Rick and Morty.” Here’s how Oni describes the first volume of the “slapstick gorefest:”

“Fresh off the biggest bomb in Hollywood history, producer Nathan T. Rex enters a downward spiral of drugs and depravity in a quest to resurrect his career and save his soul. Over budget and behind schedule on ‘Presidents Day,’ he is backed into a corner by bad publicity, a crap project, and studio politics. But enlisting serial-killer-turned-murder-consultant Darwin, his trusty assistant Igor, narcotics from Doctor Love, and the lovely actress Coconut, T. Rex will stop at nothing in his quest for cinematic fame and glory. God help us all.”

And from CBR.com: “If you’ve ever taken heavy doses of peyote, or have friend who’s a psychotic, then you’re pretty likely on the same wavelength as ‘The Auteur.’”

Unlike that titular character, Waititi has found success with his most recent film. “Jojo Rabbit” won the Audience Award after it premieired at Toronto last fall and went on to be nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture, and win Best Adapted Screenplay for Waititi. It grossed $75.4 million globally.

“Jojo Rabbit”

Kimberley French

This is just one of several follow-ups to “Jojo” that Waititi has lined up.

He just finished production on Searchlight Pictures’ “Next Goal Wins,” the fact-based story about a soccer coach (Michael Fassbender) who is tasked with turning the American Samoa national team, considered one of the weakest in the world, into an elite squad. Elisabeth Moss, Beulah Koale (“Hawaii Five-0”), and Armie Hammer are also in the cast.

Last year he signed on to co-write and direct the Apple TV+ pilot of an adaptation of Terry Gilliam’s “Time Bandits.” Gilliam, who is executive producing the series, discussed the project with IndieWire last year.

“It was only after I saw Jojo Rabbit I thought, ‘Fantastic, couldn’t have chosen a better guy.’ I love ‘Jojo Rabbit,’” Gilliam said. “The balance between humor and sensitivity and intelligence was all there. I don’t know how this is all gonna work but we’ll see how it goes. I am in a slightly not quite removed position. My job is to make sure it’s good as I want it to be, so I can be a pain in the ass.”

Waititi is also currently writing “Thor: Love and Thunder,” which will have Chris Hemsworth reprising his MCU role as the God of Thunder. The MCU film is expected to go into production this year.

Ryan Lattanzio contributed reporting.