Challengers
Teaser poster
Directed byLuca Guadagnino
Written byJustin Kuritzkes
Produced by
Starring
CinematographySayombhu Mukdeeprom
Edited byMarco Costa
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byAmazon MGM Studios (United States)[1]
Warner Bros. Pictures (International)[2]
Release date
  • April 26, 2024 (2024-04-26)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Challengers is an upcoming American romantic sports comedy-drama[citation needed] film directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes. The film stars Zendaya, Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist. Its plot follows a Grand Slam tennis champion who signs up to compete in a challenger event against the former lover of his wife and coach.

Challengers is scheduled to be released in the United States on April 26, 2024, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer through Amazon MGM Studios. It was delayed from its initial September 15, 2023, release date and pulled out from its slot as the opening film of the 80th Venice International Film Festival due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.

Premise

Following a losing streak, the wife and coach of a Grand Slam champion signs him up for a Challenger event where he will face off against her former lover.[3]

Cast

Production

Development

It was announced in February 2022 that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had landed the film, which Luca Guadagnino directed and Zendaya, Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist cast to star. Zendaya also served as a producer on the film.[6] In a 2022 interview with Collider, Guadagnino cited Kuritzkes' screenplay, Amy Pascal, and Zendaya as inspirations for making the film.[7]

Filming

Principal photography began on May 3, 2022, in Boston, where a casting call took place for local residents to audition to play tennis players, general extras, and stand-ins.[8] In preparation for her role, Zendaya spent three months training with pro-tennis player-turned-coach Brad Gilbert.[9] Gilbert was also a consultant on the film.[10] Filming occurred in and around the Back Bay and East Boston neighborhoods.[11] Sayombhu Mukdeeprom served as cinematographer.[12] Jonathan Anderson, creative director of Spanish luxury brand Loewe, served as costume designer.[13] Filming wrapped on June 26, 2022.[14]

Post-production

Guadagnino visited Zendaya on the set of Dune: Part Two in order to complete ADR for Challengers.[15] Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross composed the film's score, having previously worked with Guadagnino on 2022's Bones and All.[16] Post-production was completed by April 2023.[17]

Marketing

A trailer was released on June 20, 2023.[10] Zendaya revealed the film's poster on her Instagram at the new year 2024 along with its release date.[18] She called the film "Codependency: The Movie" and O'Connor compared it to the 2007 comedy Superbad.[19]

Release

Challengers is scheduled to be released in the United States on April 26, 2024.[20]

Previously set to be released on September 15, 2023,[21] and before that August 11, 2023,[22] the film was also scheduled to have its world premiere as the opening film of the 80th Venice International Film Festival,[23] but was delayed and pulled out from the festival by Amazon MGM Studios due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike at the time.[20]

Warner Bros. Pictures serves as the film's international distributor. Although the film was initially set for a direct-to streaming release on Amazon Prime Video in France instead of a theatrical release, the decision was reversed in January 2024, meaning the film would start streaming on the service 17 months after its initial theatrical release. While it was rumored the film would be released on April 24, 2024, two days before its release in the United States, a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery denied this, stating the film had not been dated for a French theatrical release yet.[24][25]

References

  1. ^ Whittock, Jesse (May 8, 2023). "Amazon MGM Studios Distribution To Launch At LA Screenings". Deadline. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  2. ^ "Zendaya explains career shift for new movie Challengers". Digital Spy. August 25, 2023. Archived from the original on September 23, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  3. ^ "Challengers". MGM. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Hipes, Patrick (June 20, 2023). "Challengers Trailer: Zendaya Playing Her Own Game Of Doubles In Luca Guadagnino's Tennis Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  5. ^ "Actor Jake Jensen: Stepping into the Spotlight with Two Upcoming Films, Including a Zendaya Co-Starring Project". Distract. August 28, 2023. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  6. ^ Kroll, Justin (February 11, 2022). "Luca Guadagnino Sets Zendaya, Josh O'Connor & Mike Faist To Star In 'Challengers' For MGM And Amy Pascal". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  7. ^ Jones, Tamera (November 6, 2022). "Luca Guadagnino on Directing 'Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams' and Having Martin Scorsese In the Documentary". Collider. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  8. ^ "Casting agency seeks extras, Zendaya lookalike for movie filming in Boston". www.boston.com. Archived from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  9. ^ Tennis.com. "Zendaya's tennis skills impress on the set of upcoming film 'Challengers'". Tennis.com. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  10. ^ a b Flam, Charna (June 20, 2023). "'Challengers' Trailer: Zendaya, Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist Star in Luca Guadagnino's Sexy Tennis Love Triangle". Variety. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  11. ^ "All the Hollywood movies and TV shows filming in Massachusetts in 2022". Boston.com. May 18, 2022. Archived from the original on June 9, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  12. ^ Guadagnino, Luca (June 17, 2022). "Luca Guadagnino: Things I've Learned as a Moviemaker". MovieMaker Magazine. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  13. ^ "Jonathan Anderson Turns Up the Heat with Costume Designs for Luca Guadagnino's 'Challengers'". Hypebae. June 21, 2023. Archived from the original on August 1, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  14. ^ "Luca Guadagnino's 'Challengers' starring Zendaya, Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist has officially wrapped filming". June 27, 2022. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  15. ^ "Timothée Chalamet & Zendaya Gave Bones & All Director Peek At Dune Set". Screen Rant. November 27, 2022. Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  16. ^ "Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross Scoring Luca Guadagnino's 'Challengers'". Film Music Reporter. October 16, 2022. Archived from the original on October 16, 2022. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  17. ^ Vivarelli, Nick (April 21, 2023). "Drew Starkey to Star With Daniel Craig in Luca Guadagnino's 'Queer' With Filming Starting This Month in Italy (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  18. ^ Bythrow, Nick (January 2, 2024). "Zendaya's Delayed Movie Gets Stunning New Poster As 2024 Release Date Approaches". ScreenRant. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  19. ^ Walsh, Savannah (August 22, 2023). "Zendaya and Josh O'Connor Play 'Terrible,' 'Delusional' People in 'Challengers'". Vanity Fair. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  20. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 21, 2023). "Zendaya R-Rated Pic 'Challengers' From Luca Guadagnino Heads To Spring 2024 Due To Actors Strike". Deadline. Archived from the original on August 9, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  21. ^ Challengers, September 14, 2023, archived from the original on March 22, 2023, retrieved March 23, 2023
  22. ^ Ulatowski, Rachel (June 26, 2022). "Zendaya Plays Tennis in Set Video From Her No Way Home Follow-Up Movie". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  23. ^ "Luca Guadagnino and Zendaya to open 80th Venice Film Festival". euronews. July 7, 2023. Archived from the original on July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  24. ^ Leffler, Rebecca (January 11, 2024). "Luca Guadagnino's 'Challengers' gets French theatrical release, will not head straight to Prime Video as planned". Screen Daily. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  25. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (June 19, 2023). "Zendaya and Luca Guadagnino's 'Challengers' to Skip France Theatrical Release, Debut on Prime Video". Variety. Archived from the original on June 19, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.

External links

Luca Guadagnino filmography
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