Zendaya tries her hand at the art of seduction and other games in the Challengers trailer. Directed by Luca Guadagnino, the upcoming romantic sports drama follows a longstanding love triangle between three tennis players, from their first meeting as teenagers to competing in a tournament to be crowned winners of the world-famous Grand Slam. Is. The cast of Challengers includes MCU, Euphoria and Dune star Zendaya, West Side Story’s Mike Fest and The Crown’s Josh O’Connor.
MGM today unveiled the official trailer for the film ahead of this fall’s release of The Challengers. Here it is below:
The Challengers trailer features Zendaya as tennis star Tashi Duncan, who finds herself in a passionate love triangle with teammates Art Donaldson (played by Faust) and Patrick Zweig (O’Connor). Years later, Tashi marries Kala and after suffering a serious injury, becomes his coach as well. To spice things up, Tashi convinces Art to enter a challenge event against Patrick, rekindling their rivalry and romance years later.
The Challengers represent a change of pace for Zendaya and Guadagnino. Zendaya established herself as a unique talent with her outspoken portrayal of Euphoria, a teen battling addiction. Defined as a romantic sports comedy, Challengers feels a bit lighter than Euphoria while still bearing a certain resemblance to the passionate romance. This is a more physically demanding role than any the actress has played in the past, as Zendaya trained for three months for the Challengers with pro tennis player-turned-coach Brad Gilbert. Zendaya has won two Emmys for Euphoria and Challengers might just be her first real shot at getting an Oscar nomination.
Guadagnino is an Oscar-nominated filmmaker best known for his recent collaborations with Timothée Chalamet, including Call Me By Your Name and Bones and All. While both of these films had a somewhat somber tone, Challengers represents a change of pace for Guadagnino as presented in sports comedy, the first such film in the Italian director’s filmography. However, the Challengers retain the sensuality and lavish imagery that have become Guadagnino’s signature. It will be interesting to see both Zendaya and Guadagnino step out of their comfort zones in Challengers when the film hits theaters on September 15.
Source: MGM