‘Challengers’: The Cast, Release Date & Everything Else To Know About Zendaya’s New Movie

Zendaya is officially taking over cinemas in 2023! She’s coming out swinging with Challengers, a new dramedy set in the world of tennis. From the footage we’ve seen so far, Challengers is going to be one of those movies you simply can’t miss.

Zendaya has two very handsome and talented co-stars in Challengers. Get ready for one steamy love triangle! From the cast to what the movie is all about, HollywoodLife has rounded up all the latest updates about the Challengers movie.

Challengers Release Date

Challengers will hit theaters on September 15, 2023. The film will be released exclusively in theaters. A streaming release date has not been revealed yet. Challengers is rated R for language throughout, some sexual content, and graphic nudity.

Ahead of the film’s theatrical release, Challengers is expected to premiere at the Venice Film Festival, according to Variety. The movie’s original release date was August 11, 2023, but it was later moved to its current September date.

Challengers Cast

Challengers features a talented trio of actors: Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist. Zendaya stars as Tashi Duncan, a tennis phenom turned coach. Zendaya has become a 2-time Emmy winner for her role as Rue in HBO’s Euphoria. In addition to Challengers, Zendaya also reprises her role as Chani in Dune: Part Two.

Mike plays Art Duncan, Tashi’s husband. Tasha has become Art’s coach after an injury sidelined her. Mike is best known for his role as Riff in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story remake. He also originated the role of Connor Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway.

Josh stars as Patrick, Tashi’s ex-boyfriend and Art’s former best friend. The Emmy winner rose to fame playing Prince Charles in seasons 3 and 4 of The Crown.

The film was directed and produced by Luca Guadagnino. The Oscar nominee is known for directing films like Call Me By Your Name, Suspiria, and Bones and All.

“She’s wonderful,” Luca said about Zendaya in an interview with Variety. “I mean, wow. We edited the movie and we almost actually don’t use any of her double. She’s so good.” The director also noted that his leads “spent like three months working very hard. Everybody – technically, athletically.” The movie was primarily filmed in Boston.

Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya’s Dune: Part Two co-star, saw an early cut of the film in 2022. “Loved it,” the actor told Variety about his reaction to the film. Timothée previously worked with Luca on Call Me By Your Name and Bones and All.

What Will Challengers Be About?

The official synopsis from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for Challengers reads: “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, Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick – 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.”

The director previously revealed to IndieWire that Challengers is a “completely different film” from his last project Bones and All. He calls it a “fairly fizzy, sexy movie about the world of tennis.”

He also noted, “I think those three characters in that movie are beautifully complex and really f***ed-up people that I love very much. And a sports film, why not? It’s hyperkinetic, and I do films, so it’s great.”

Challengers Trailer

The first trailer for Challengers dropped on June 20. The footage — set to Rihanna’s “S&M” — gives a glimpse of Tashi, Art, and Patrick’s lives in both the past and present day. The trailer chronicles Tashi and Art’s journey to facing off against Patrick, Tashi’s former lover, on the tennis court.

The love triangle heats between Art, Tashi, and Patrick. During their younger years, there’s a moment when Tashi is enjoying both Art and Patrick kissing her. Just three days after the trailer’s release, the official trailer had amassed nearly 6 million views (and counting!) on YouTube.

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