Diamanti Grezzi 2019 -

: The role of the basketball star was originally written with Kobe Bryant in mind, but he was only interested in directing. Joel Embiid was also cast, but had to drop out when filming moved into the actual NBA season. Authentic New York Details

: The unique, angular house used for Howard's family home was also used as Freddie Mercury's house in Bohemian Rhapsody .

: Jonah Hill was actually cast in 2017. However, the Safdies struggled to "youth down" the character for him, and Hill eventually left to direct his own film, Mid90s . Diamanti grezzi 2019

: The film is loosely based on the Safdies' father, who worked as a runner in the Manhattan Diamond District for a man actually named Howard.

Watch how the Safdie brothers and their cast brought this intense world to life through meticulous research and authentic casting: : The role of the basketball star was

: During a kidnapping scene, the first-time actors beating up Sandler accidentally choked him. Because Sandler was so "in character," they didn't realize he was actually tapping out until the stunt coordinator intervened.

: The Safdie brothers first approached Adam Sandler in 2012, but his team rejected the script. They then considered Sacha Baron Cohen and Harvey Keitel . : Jonah Hill was actually cast in 2017

The 2019 film (titled Diamanti grezzi in Italian) is a high-tension crime thriller directed by Josh and Benny Safdie . It follows Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), a Jewish-American jeweler in New York's Diamond District, who risks everything on a rare Ethiopian black opal to settle his gambling debts.