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Challengers is coming to a theater near you soon – and this is what we know about it.
As someone who is a part of Generation Z, plenty of celebrities have been up and coming for many years from my specific age group. You could bring up Hailee Steinfeld, Olivia Rodrigo, or even Billie Eilish, and the one who has genuinely exploded over the last few years is Zendaya.
Starting her career on The Disney Channel with shows such as Shake It Off and K.C. Undercover, Zendaya has only continued to become even more popular since then, going on to star in some giant movies, and now, she’s going to be headlining this next sports drama, Challengers.
But who else is going to be starring in Challengers? And when is it going to be released? Here is what we know so far for all the questions you could have about the upcoming movie.
What Is The Challengers Release Date?
Challengers has a set release date of April 26, 2024, according to Deadline. Initially, the film was supposed to come out as part of the 2023 movie release schedule in September. However, it was pushed back to April 2024 due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Even so, that means Challengers joins the ever-growing 2024 movie release schedule. April 2024 is already filled to the brim with films releasing, such as The First Omen, a new M. Night Shyamalan movie, and a new A24 film, Civil War. It’s undoubtedly going to be a packed month.
Challengers Is A Sports Drama About Former Friends Facing Off Against Each Other
With any of the best sports movies, there is plenty of competition, so we know that Challengers will involve that for sure, but this film will be a little more dramatic than others – as love starts to get into the mix.
MGM had an official synopsis for the film on their website, stating that Challengers all starts with Tashi, a young up-and-coming tennis star who has taken the world by storm and meets two other young tennis players. Unfortunately, Tashi suffers an injury that prevents her from playing tennis again, and she uses her talent to become a coach.
She coaches her husband, Art, to become a Grand Slam champion, but recently, he’s been having a losing streak. She decides to enter him into a “Challenger” event to break him out of it, which is said to be close to the “lowest level” of pro he could play. However, things are shaken up when he faces his former best friend – and wife’s former lover – in his competition.
This already feels so dramatic – and I am here for it.
Zendaya, Josh O’Conner, Mike Faist And Jake Jensen Star
As mentioned above, Zendaya is the main star for this film, but the news of her casting also noted that she would star in Challengers with Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist. The news came from Deadline in February 2022. Their characters will be Tashi, Art, and Patrick.
These three young stars have made a name for themselves in the last few years. Zendaya stars in the Euphoria cast, a role that has earned her two Primetime Emmy awards, but she’s also appeared in various movies. These include the Spider-Man films at the MCU, Dune: Part 1, The Greatest Showman, Malcolm & Marie, and more.
Josh O’Connor has appeared in T.V. shows such as Doctor Who and Peaky Blinders. He also portrayed Charles III in The Crown on Netflix and appeared in the period film Emma. Mike Faist gained worldwide recognition for his role in the West Side Story cast in 2021, but he’s also appeared in films such as Touched with Fire, Wildling, and The Unspeakable Act. He’s also set to appear in the upcoming film The Bikeriders.
Also confirmed to appear in Challengers is Jake Jensen, who Distract T.V. confirmed in August 2023. It will be his film debut.
Watch The Trailer For Challengers
If you’re interested in Challengers, check out the trailer above. It features our main stars and the story we are about to dive into – one of romance, friendship, rivalries, and competition in professional tennis.
Luca Guadagnino Directed The Film
As confirmed in the Deadline article announcing the main cast, Luca Guadagnino directed Challengers. The director is known for many films that plenty of people have seen, such as Call Me By Your Name, A Bigger Splash, Bones and All, Suspiria, and many more.
The director had the chance to talk about Challengers in an interview with Collider in November 2022. When asked about what inspired him to make this movie, Guadagnino said it was a variety of things, from the script to even working with Zendaya:
Many elements. The great script from Justin Kuritzkes, sexy and fun, and never done something like that. Working with Amy Pascal, who I adore, who I feel, respectfully to her wonderful husband, I feel married with. And Zendaya, of course, she’s just inspiring and sublime. So there were so many great elements that I couldn’t say no, basically. I was like, I have to say yes.
I, for one, can’t wait to see this film – and the drama that comes with it.
Justin Kuritzkes Wrote The Script
Also confirmed from the Deadline article regarding the cast was that Justin Kuritzkes wrote the script for Challengers. Kuritzkes is primarily a novelist and playwright, but this will be his first screenplay. He’s also working on another adaptation with Guadagnino, Queer.
Challengers Will Be Rated R
The last thing we know about Challengers is that the film will be Rated R, according to the official MGM website. This isn’t that much of a shocker, as most of Guadagnino’s films tend to trend in that direction, and from the first trailer, it certainly felt like it was.
When it first came out, I thought it would be more of a teen sports drama, but I’m down for something more mature than any of us were expecting. It just makes me want April to come even quicker.
Challengers is coming out soon, and we are counting down the days. What are you excited about the most when it comes to this film? All I know is that I will have to take up my tennis lessons again to prepare for this.