standout soundtrack, Challengers is one of the best films of 2024.Directed by Luca Guadagnino, the spicy sports drama follows professional tennis champion Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) who is plotting a career comeback with the help of his wife Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), a former tennis rising star who was forced to retire due to an injury.At a tournament, however, Art is matched against Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor), who is his former best friend and his wife’s ex lover.Along with starring in the film, Zendaya also serves as a producer alongside Guadagnino, Rachel O’Connor and Amy Pascal.The entirety of Challengers is told in a nonlinear fashion, as the love triangle between Art Donaldson, Tashi Duncan and Patrick Zweig is unraveled through flashbacks in the build-up to the climactic tennis match in the present.A day prior to the match between Art and Patrick, Tashi tells her husband Art that if he loses the match, she will leave him – in what’s pitched as a motivator to spur him to win in order to get his tennis career back on track. Later on, Tashi meets with Patrick to ask him to throw the match in Art’s favour, and while he hesitantly agrees, the pair end up briefly rekindling their past romance and have sex in the back of a car.At the match in the present, just as Patrick looks to throw the match by losing points with foul serves, he communicates to Art that he had sex with his wife the night prior by placing his tennis ball against the centre of his racket before his serve – something he did years prior when he first started dating Tashi.
‘Challengers’ Review: Zendaya and Company Smash the Sports-Movie Mold in Luca Guadagnino’s Tennis Scorcher
12.04.2024 - 17:21 / variety.com
Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic Anyone who’s ever played tennis knows the game starts with love and escalates fast. In Luca Guadagnino’s hip, sexy and ridiculously overheated “Challengers,” the rivals are former doubles partners Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor), best friends since the age of 12, who went their separate ways after both players fell for the same woman. Patrick got there first, but Art wound up marrying her — and their sense of competition has only intensified since.
As bunkmates at the same tennis academy, the guys must have heard this old groaner: What do you call a girl who stands between two players on a tennis court? (The answer is almost too dumb to dignify, and yet: Annette.) In Guadagnino’s erotic drama, Zendaya plays the gal in that position, seated at precisely the midpoint between Art and Patrick in their big match. The camera doesn’t turn, but her head does, swiveling with each shot. This is Tashi Duncan, a teenage tennis prodigy turned professional coach.
More than a decade earlier, the two adversaries competed for her number. Now it feels like they’re playing for her heart. Like that clunky joke, the plot of “Challengers” might sound stale, and yet, there’s an electric spark to Guadagnino’s approach that elevates the material, rendering it fresh.
Behind every high-speed volley and smashed racket courses raw emotion, resulting in the steamiest (and funniest) sports-centric love triangle since “Bull Durham.” With some romantic movies, you’d do well to pack tissues. In the case of “Challengers,” bring a towel. It’s that rare film where you’ll work up a sweat just from spectating.
Zendaya’s ‘Challengers’ Debuts Atop U.K., Ireland Box Office
Naman Ramachandran Warner Bros.’ “Challengers,” led by Zendaya, debuted atop the U.K. and Ireland box office with £1.6 million ($2 million), according to numbers from Comscore. In its third weekend, Studiocanal’s “Back to Black” dropped to second place with £1.4 million for a total of £8.9 million.
Tom Sandoval SLAMS Rachel Leviss’ Lawsuit Against Him & Ariana Madix As An Attempt To ‘Rebrand Herself As The Victim’
Tom Sandoval isn’t buying Rachel Leviss’ lawsuit.
Zendaya and ‘Challengers’ co-star dish on movie’s steamiest scenes
his new film, “Challengers,” co-starring Zendaya and “West Side Story” star Mike Faist, he’s showing a whole new side of himself.O’Connor plays tennis pro Patrick, one-third of a love triangle with Tashi (Zendaya), a tennis pro poised for greatness before an injury relegates her to coaching, and Art (Faist), another well-to-do tennis pro. Tashi eventually marries Art, and Patrick comes back into their lives years later, kicking off tensions and connections, including a racy threesome.Reviews have described “Challengers” as sexy and steamy, something O’Connor is still surprised he was chosen for.“If you were making the movie, you wouldn’t cast me,” O’Connor recalled telling screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes in an interview for The Wall Street Journal.
‘Challengers’ Director Luca Guadagnino Explains Origins Of The ‘Spider-Verse’ Reference
SPOILER ALERT: This article contains details about Challengers.
‘Challengers’ Steamy 3-Way Kiss Scene Was Not In Original Script, Says Director Luca Guadagnino
A central scene in director Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers wasn’t in Justin Kuritzkes’ original script.
Zendaya Says She’s “Not Quite Confident Enough” To Direct Yet, But Luca Guadagnino Thinks Otherwise
As an actress and executive producer, Zendaya is already a multi-hyphenate, but she’s not quite ready to climb into a director’s chair. IndieWire reports (via The New York Times) that the “Challengers” star needs more time before she directs her first project. But when that day comes, Luca Guadagnino will say, “I told you so.” READ MORE: ‘Challengers’ Review: Zendaya Rules This Love Triangle “I’m overly conscious of everything else around me,” Zendaya told the publication in an interview for Guada’s new tennis drama, in theaters today.
Zendaya & Luca Guadagnino Movie ‘Challengers’ Takes $1.9M Previews, ‘Unsung Hero’ $1.67M – Box Office
Amazon MGM Studios’ Challengers, starring Zendaya and directed by Luca Guadagnino, made $1.9M in previews, a figure $100K shy of what Universal’s Cocaine Bear did. The tennis sexy romcom is hoping to open to $15M for the weekend.
‘Challengers’ soundtrack: artist info, tracklist and where to listen
Challengers, the new tennis-based film starring Zendaya, is out in cinemas tomorrow (April 26).It’s the latest film from acclaimed director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name, Bones and All), and centres on an intense love triangle between tennis coach Tashi Duncan (Zendaya) and rival racket-thrashers Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) and Art Donaldson (Mike Faist), who is also her husband.In a four-star review of the film, NME wrote: “The performances are exceptional, with off-the-scale chemistry between all three leads. Zendaya, in particular, is a force of nature, and you feel her angry frustration at her own career path (which was cut short by injury) in every scene.
‘Challengers’ review: Steamy Zendaya movie is this year’s ‘Saltburn’
Saltburn.”Like Emerald Fennell’s shapeshifting mystery, “Challengers” is, at once, artful, addictive and deceptive. The salivating viewer believes it’s one thing, becomes sure it’s another and then leaves with a different theory altogether.There are more similarities.
Final ‘Challengers’ Trailer: Luca Guadagnino Sexy Tennis Love Triangle Stars Zendaya & Opens This Weekend
From almost all accounts, it seems like Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino has another hit on his hands with “Challengers,” a new tennis drama from MGM Studios that’s actually more of a love-triangle romance bundled into the sports genre. Starring Zendaya (Marvel’s “Spider-Man” franchise and the “Dune” series), Josh O’Connor (“Dr.
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Discuss Scoring Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Challengers’ in Featurette: ‘It’s About the Excitement’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Steven J. Horowitz Senior Music Writer Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers” is sweaty, sexy and full of angst. The film, which hits theaters April 26, centers on a love triangle between three tennis players with deeply competitive spirits both in the game and off the court.
‘Challengers’ Premiere: Zendaya Calls Luca Guadagnino “Brilliant” & Josh O’Connor Says Working With Director Was “A Real Treat & An Honor”
Zendaya not only stars in Luca Guadagnino‘s Challengers but is also a producer in the film written by Justin Kuritzkes.
Horrifying moment huge tree comes crashing down and almost SMASHES cars in Manchester
Dashcam footage has revealed the horrifying moment a huge tree almost landed on cars in Manchester amid strong winds on Monday (April 15).
'72-hour heatwave' to hit parts of England, according to weather maps - but two areas will miss out
Brits are set to bask in a '72 hour' heatwave, according to some forecasters, but not everyone will be feeling the heat as two parts of England are expected to miss out on the sizzling temperatures.
‘Challengers’ Review: Luca Guadagnino’s Zendaya-Led Dramedy About Love And Rivalry Across The Tennis Court
In Challengers, Luca Guadagnino serves up a film that is as much about the volleys of human emotion as it is about the physical rallies on the tennis court.
Adam and Ryan Thomas dubbed 'the next Ant and Dec' as they're lined up for new ITV show
Adam and Ryan Thomas are being lined up as presenters of a new weekend gameshow on ITV. The pair are already popular with viewers from appearances in Emmerdale and Coronation Street, plus reality shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing on Ice.
James Norton On Being The “Small Hero” In Psychological Thriller ‘Playing Nice’, Growing His Indie Label Rabbit Track, And Moving Behind The Camera: “That’s Definitely In The Plan”
EXCLUSIVE: In Playing Nice James Norton stars as Pete, a doting dad who finds out his son was switched at birth, giving him a different kind of hero to portray. “He’s a kind of small hero,” Norton told Deadline. “Unlike most of the characters I’ve played, he’s very likable, very amenable and recognizable. There’s a simplicity to him, which I hadn’t really played before, and a likability and quietness that made him feel very real.”
Natasha Raskin Sharp husband: Who is the Bargain Hunt star married to?
For more than a decade, Natasha Raskin Sharp has captivated audiences with her expertise and charisma on Bargain Hunt, where she first graced screens in 2014. Since her debut on the hit BBC show, the 37 year old has become a familiar face on various television programs, showcasing her knowledge and passion for antiques. Her talents have extended beyond Bargain Hunt, with notable appearances on other shows like Antiques Road Trip, Flog It, and even the US series Baggage Battles.
‘Star Wars’: Beau Willimon To Co-Write James Mangold’s ‘Dawn Of The Jedi’ Movie
After years of exile on planet Disney+, Lucasfilm’s plan to marshal “Star Wars” back to the big screen is about to take off. Just a few hours after “The Mandalorian & Grogu” landed a summer 2026 release date from Disney, another “Star Wars” film from director James Mangold is starting to take shape.