Zendaya is coming back to grace the silver screen with some courtside drama. Here’s everything we know about the Challengers movie.
If you were wondering why Zendaya’s short bob was the actress’s hairstyle of choice this past season, the trailer for Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers might be the answer. The highly-anticipated film, co-starring The Crown’s Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist of West Side Story brings an eclectic mix of talent, drama, and erotic threesomes to a movie that is being billed as one of the first “romantic sports comedies”. Here’s everything we know about the new Challengers movie.
The Italian director, popular for his previous portrayals of complex romantic entanglements, is also the mastermind behind unique films like Call Me By Your Name to Bones & All. Even with Challengers, his signature theme finds the limelight once again with a love triangle dominating the storyline. The fall release showcases the life of Tashi, a famed tennis pro with several lucrative businesses to her name: from a fashion line to a philanthropic foundation, and a penchant for turning everyone in her family into millionaires.
[Hero and featured image credit: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Youtube]
What does the official synopsis of Challengers reveal?
According to the film’s official description, Challengers follows “three players who knew each other when they were teenagers as they compete in a tennis tournament to be the world-famous grand slam winner and reignite old rivalries on and off the court.” While Tashi remains the protagonist, it is her relationship with her husband, Art, and former lover, Patrick, that sets the tone for this film. As the background score plays Rihanna’s infamous “S&M” with Zendaya tossing off lines like, “I’m taking such good care of my little white boys,” the film is clearly going to have a tongue-in-cheek tone to it.
“I think those three characters in that movie are beautifully complex and really f-cked-up people that I love very much. And a sports film, why not?” Guadagnino told IndieWire in an interview last October. “It’s hyperkinetic, and I do films, so it’s great.” Additionally, he also revealed that Zendaya worked with former tennis player Brad Gilbert for three months to prepare for the film.
The film is all set to release in US theaters on September 15, 2023. Are we ready to declare game, set, match for Zendaya?
This article originally appeared on Prestige Online Singapore.
As a pop-culture enthusiast with a penchant for fashion, Srijoni found herself graduating with a degree in History from Miranda House, DU and a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi. Apart from binging on the latest web series, trying DIY recipes from TikTok, and spending hours window shopping on the latest Instagram stores, she loves spending time with her family and curating vacation mood boards. Writing opinion pieces, and critiquing international fashion trends are a part of her forte. Srijoni was previously employed at iDiva as their ‘Chief Fashion Writer’ for 5 years.
