It didn’t reach Brendan Fraser-in-The Whale“the only frame from the movie” status, but it feels like we’ve been seeing that image of Zendaya sitting on a bed with Mike Faist on one side of her and Josh O’Connor on the other for years. That’s only a slight hyperbole: Challengers was originally scheduled for August 2023, but it was pushed back to 2024 due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Thankfully, Luca Guadagnino’s sexy (and sex scene-free) tennis movie finally comes out this week, so we’ll be able to see the bed scene in context.
Speaking of that scene, Zendaya told Variety what was on her mind while taking such good care of her little white boys. “The only reason I really remember is because Beyoncé came out with ‘Break My Soul’ that day,” she said. “I was having a great day, like, ‘Y’all. Beyoncé’s single just dropped.’ That’s what I was focused on, to be honest.”
O’Connor joked, “We lost Zendaya for like a week. She was on set, normal, chatting with us. Then one day Beyoncé released something. They called ‘cut,’ and she immediately had headphones in. She was completely lost to the world.” Beyoncé: the only person who can make literally Zendaya lose her cool.
Here’s more on Challengers:
From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion on a losing streak (Mike Faist), Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (Josh O’Connor) – his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend. As their pasts and presents collide, and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself, what will it cost to win.
Challengers opens in theaters on April 26. See it.
Here’s the drop, if you didn’t know: Spider-Man and Dune actress Zendaya is playing a tennis star in Luca Guadagnino’s new film Challengers, and there’s plenty of drama to explore in the new trailer.
The choice of music in the trailer is interesting, with Nelly Furtado’s Maneater controlling the pace. Before we explore the official description, Shadow and Act reported that Zendaya plays a former tennis star and champion who had to leave the game due to an injury – and that happens in real life like any other sport. Now get this, she moves on to coaching, but her new clients aren’t just after her tennis experience and want more than they bargained for. Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist are also starring, but here’s the synopsis:
From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion on a losing streak (Faist), Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (O’Connro) – his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend. As their pasts and presents collide, and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself, what will it cost to win.
Justin Kuritzkes pen the film. Guadagnino, Zendaya, Amy Pascal, and Rachel O’Connor are producing. Bernard Bellew, Lorenzo Mieli, and Kevin Ulrich serve as executive producers. The music outside of that Nelly Furtado trailer score is from the iconic Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross.
Zendaya’s about to turn even more heads, as proven by the release of the trailer for her upcoming movie, Challengers. She’s set to star alongside Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist in the multi-genre, tennis-centered movie. Challengers is in part, a sports film, a romantic comedy, and a drama. Following the trailer’s release, it’s clear that a steamy love triangle is on the way.
Challengers is already one of the most anticipated movies for the fall season. This is largely because of the leading lady at the center of it all. Challengers will see Zendaya take on the role of Tashi Duncan, a tennis prodigy whose career comes to an abrupt end after a tennis injury. Tashi ends up becoming the coach to her husband, Art. However, tensions rise as he’s set to play his former best friend and her former boyfriend, Patrick, in a Challenger event.
The Cast Of Challengers
Besides Zendaya, who’s enjoyed great success in recent years, Challengers features Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist. O’Connor stars as Patrick, Tashi’s boyfriend during her teenage years. On the other hand, Faist stars as Art, Tashi’s current husband. Faist is a highly decorated actor. He won a Grammy and was nominated for a Tony Award for his role in the musical Dear Evan Hansen. He’s also an Emmy winner, taking home the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program. He recently garnered significant acclaim for his role in the 2022 movie adaptation of West Side Story.
O’Connor is a British actor who won an Emmy Award for his captivating role as a young Charles III in Netflix’s The Crown. His other works include roles in Peaky Blinders, Emma, and God’s Own Country. The latter earned him a British Independent Film Award.
Perhaps the most famous name behind the scenes of Challengers is Luca Guadagnino. The award-winning Italian director is behind the acclaimed romantic drama Call Me By Your Name. He also served as the director of the romantic horror, Bones and All, which received positive reviews. Playwright and novelist Justin Kuritzkes wrote the script for the movie. Other names involved in the project include Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who will compose the film’s score. The pair also worked with Guadagnino on Bones and All. In addition, Sayombhu Mukdeeprom will serve as the movie’s primary cinematographer.
Challengers is more than a sports movie and features Zendaya and her co-stars in an important time skip. As shown in the trailer, Tashi and the two men engage in sexual relationships, which eventually play a major part in their respective futures. The movie is Rated R, and if the song used in the trailer is any indication, things might heat up on and off the court. Rihanna’s hit single “S&M” served as the trailer’s official track.
Fans have already noted the fashion moments in the trailer. This is thanks to Jonathan Anderson, the creative director of Loewe and the costume designer for the movie. Challengers’ trailer has shown Zendaya off in some seriously stunning outfits. The time skip particularly accentuates the character’s style evolution from cute and girly to luxurious and sophisticated. Zendaya also displayed some level of tennis expertise in the Challengers trailer. She spent three months training with Brad Gilbert, a former professional tennis player, and current coach and analyst.
Filming & Release
Filming for Challengers began in Boston on May 3, 2022, and wrapped up eight weeks later on June 26. The movie is expected to premiere at the 80th Venice Film Festival, after which it will receive a theatrical U.S. release on September 15, 2023. However, French audiences can catch the film exclusively on Prime Video. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer will distribute Challengers, which also serves as the movie’s primary production company. Some fans are holding out hope that the movie will be available to stream on Prime Video after its theatrical run in the U.S., as Amazon owns MGM.
Sex has made a roaring, vibrant return to mainstream cinema in 2023. From Sanctuary to Infinity Pool to Bottoms, Hollywood is allowing itself to be all shades of horny again. Meanwhile, Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagino has become famous for his boundary-pushing takes on romance, sexuality, and sensuality. His most notable works include the LGBT romance Call Me By Your Name, the psychosexual horror remake Suspiria, and the Timothée Chalamet-led horror-romance Bones and All.
Zendaya embracing sexual roles is hardly anything new. The former Disney Channel star, who also appears in the family-friendly Marvel Spider-Man films, cut her teeth on more risque roles by headlining HBO’s Euphoria. However, her latest role, which pairs her with Guadagino, really has fans talking.
Challengers is billed as a sports romance set for release later in 2023. The film centers around Tashi (Zendaya), a tennis pro who turns to coaching after suffering a that cuts her career short. After a threesome with two other pros, the film is actually set years after that steamy event. Tashi is now married to (and coaching) Art (Mike Faist). Playing in an ATP Challengers event, Art is drawn against Patrick (Josh O’Connor), the third corner of the threesome and Tashi’s former boyfriend. Additionally, the film blends tennis with a classic love triangle and promises to bring Guadagino’s patented style to the proceedings.
The first trailer has a heavy focus on the teenage threesome, which serves a core moment of the film. The height of the trailer’s first act is a tantalizing image of Zendaya smirking mischievously up at the camera while Rihanna’s “S&M” plays in the background. It’s an artfully edited teaser that’s sure to get fans in theatres. “I think those three characters in that movie are beautifully complex and really fucked-up people that I love very much,” Guadagino told IndieWire last year. But the whole idea of Zendaya being not just involved, but actively instigating, a threesome on camera, has got fans going absolutely wild.
— Aquarius’ Groove (Ricky’s Edition) (@monetsupremacy_) June 21, 2023
Challengers releases on September 15. Will you be going to see it? Let us know in the comments. Furthermore, follow all the latest film news here at HotNewHipHop.
(@kirawontmiss) 