Luca Guadagnino, director of Challengers, took a less intense approach to shooting the new Zendaya movie, a method that David Fincher or Stanley Kubrick might not have approved of. Fincher, renowned for his exhaustive number of takes per scene, received a subtle jab when Guadagnino expressed his disdain for such a method, deeming it torture for the actors.
A still from Challengers How Luca Guadagnino Shot Zendaya’s Challengers
The highly anticipated Zendaya movie, Challengers, has finally hit the screens and is surely the talk of the town. Ever since its teaser was released, audiences have eagerly anticipated seeing Zendaya in this new avatar.
Suggested“That’s really low”: Zendaya Fans Find ‘Challengers’ CinemaScore Rating Unacceptable
In a recent interview with The New York Times, director Luca Guadagnino shared insights into his filmmaking process for the movie. He said,
“I hate pushing,-If it’s great, why do you have to torture people?...
A still from Challengers How Luca Guadagnino Shot Zendaya’s Challengers
The highly anticipated Zendaya movie, Challengers, has finally hit the screens and is surely the talk of the town. Ever since its teaser was released, audiences have eagerly anticipated seeing Zendaya in this new avatar.
Suggested“That’s really low”: Zendaya Fans Find ‘Challengers’ CinemaScore Rating Unacceptable
In a recent interview with The New York Times, director Luca Guadagnino shared insights into his filmmaking process for the movie. He said,
“I hate pushing,-If it’s great, why do you have to torture people?...
- 4/28/2024
- by Sampurna Banerjee
- FandomWire
As Luca Guadagnino’s acclaimed tennis film Challengers makes its case for sporting immortality, critic Guy Lodge chooses 20 of the genre’s undisputed heavyweights
Challengers reviewed by Wendy Ide
Analogies of life as sport have been exhausted by every Pe teacher in existence. In the movies, however, they’re eternally renewable. Take Challengers, Luca Guadagnino’s sleek, sexy, sweat-drenched new film, which hits every metaphor you might expect in its story of three tennis pros locked in a tense love triangle: games are won and lost, points scored, doubles partners swapped, and so on. Shot and paced with the ricocheting energy of a great tennis match, it’s a sports movie that, like many a classic of the genre, understands the parallels between sport and cinema as two great crowd-pleasing pastimes.
The sports movie is pretty much as old as movies themselves: for early silent-cinema pioneers at the turn of the 20th century,...
Challengers reviewed by Wendy Ide
Analogies of life as sport have been exhausted by every Pe teacher in existence. In the movies, however, they’re eternally renewable. Take Challengers, Luca Guadagnino’s sleek, sexy, sweat-drenched new film, which hits every metaphor you might expect in its story of three tennis pros locked in a tense love triangle: games are won and lost, points scored, doubles partners swapped, and so on. Shot and paced with the ricocheting energy of a great tennis match, it’s a sports movie that, like many a classic of the genre, understands the parallels between sport and cinema as two great crowd-pleasing pastimes.
The sports movie is pretty much as old as movies themselves: for early silent-cinema pioneers at the turn of the 20th century,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Guy Lodge
- The Guardian - Film News
Luca Guadagnino’s sizzling, sharply scripted drama, co-starring Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, is such fun it’s almost indecent
Nobody harnesses horniness quite like Luca Guadagnino. With his lavish, luxurious portrait of forbidden lust, the Tilda Swinton-starring I Am Love, Guadagnino embraced one of cinema’s most cliched symbolic sensual devices, filling the frame with come-hither shots of delectable food. But somehow, in his hands, this hackneyed metaphor feels fresh, and the film is a skin-tingling exploration of erotic tension. Then there’s Call Me By Your Name, with its scenes of peach-grappling and languid yearning, in which even the spaces between the characters are charged with longing. And Bones and All, which virtually rebrands cannibalism as a legitimate kink. But even by Guadagnino’s highly charged standards, Challengers is an absurdly sexy movie. With its power plays and exquisite cruelty, the shimmering beauty of its three leads and their tantalising interlocking desires,...
Nobody harnesses horniness quite like Luca Guadagnino. With his lavish, luxurious portrait of forbidden lust, the Tilda Swinton-starring I Am Love, Guadagnino embraced one of cinema’s most cliched symbolic sensual devices, filling the frame with come-hither shots of delectable food. But somehow, in his hands, this hackneyed metaphor feels fresh, and the film is a skin-tingling exploration of erotic tension. Then there’s Call Me By Your Name, with its scenes of peach-grappling and languid yearning, in which even the spaces between the characters are charged with longing. And Bones and All, which virtually rebrands cannibalism as a legitimate kink. But even by Guadagnino’s highly charged standards, Challengers is an absurdly sexy movie. With its power plays and exquisite cruelty, the shimmering beauty of its three leads and their tantalising interlocking desires,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Wendy Ide
- The Guardian - Film News
Luca Guadagnino didn't deliberately insert a 'Spider-Man' "in-joke" into 'Challengers'.The director's new movie stars Zendaya as tennis prodigy Tashi Duncan, and a scene features the alter ego of the actress - who plays Mj opposite her real-life boyfriend Tom Holland in the superhero films - talking with her husband Art (Mike Faist) when they are interrupted by their daughter Lily, who asks if she can watch the 'Spider Man: Into the Spider-Verse' animated movie.And while fans of the superhero saga were thrilled by the Easter egg, Luca admitted he didn't think about the tie to Zendaya when the line was written.He explained to EW.com: “When you get rights for something to be used in a movie, it’s very complicated.“Amy Pascal, our amazing producer, was of help there. I said, ‘Amy, can we use one of your catalog titles so it’s going...
- 4/28/2024
- by Viki Waters
- Bang Showbiz
Spoiler Alert: This article contains details about Challengers.
Luca Guadagnino, director of Challengers, inadvertently linked his latest film to the Spider-Man universe by having Zendaya be that connection.
Zendaya plays Mj opposite Tom Holland in the latest Spider-Man movies, and she is currently starring as tennis prodigy Tashi in Challengers.
At a point in the film, Tashi is discussing tennis with her husband Art, played by Mike Faist, when their daughter Lily walks in and asks if she can watch the animated Spider-Verse. The Easter egg lit up Spider-Man fans when the Marvel superhero was mentioned.
Although Zendaya doesn’t voice a character in the Spider-Verse animated film, she is part of the Spider-Verse at Sony. Guadagnino is now revealing that the connection wasn’t on purpose.
“When you get rights for something to be used in a movie, it’s very complicated,” Guadagnino said in an interview with EW.
Luca Guadagnino, director of Challengers, inadvertently linked his latest film to the Spider-Man universe by having Zendaya be that connection.
Zendaya plays Mj opposite Tom Holland in the latest Spider-Man movies, and she is currently starring as tennis prodigy Tashi in Challengers.
At a point in the film, Tashi is discussing tennis with her husband Art, played by Mike Faist, when their daughter Lily walks in and asks if she can watch the animated Spider-Verse. The Easter egg lit up Spider-Man fans when the Marvel superhero was mentioned.
Although Zendaya doesn’t voice a character in the Spider-Verse animated film, she is part of the Spider-Verse at Sony. Guadagnino is now revealing that the connection wasn’t on purpose.
“When you get rights for something to be used in a movie, it’s very complicated,” Guadagnino said in an interview with EW.
- 4/28/2024
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Fresh off her role in the sci-fi epic “Dune: Part Two,” Zendaya is already back in the spotlight with her new film “Challengers.” From her early days in Disney to her roles in Spider-Man and Euphoria, the actress has become a global phenomenon at a young age.
A still from Euphoria
Zendaya’s latest film is garnering great reviews from critics and fans alike, and everyone is all praise for her performance in the film. Despite the reviews, the movie’s official CinemaScore rating is nowhere near what fans had expected.
Zendaya’s Challengers Received a B+ CinemaScore
A still from Challengers
Directed by the acclaimed Luca Guadagnino, Challengers has hit theaters and is generating a lot of buzz. The movie boasts a stellar cast alongside Zendaya, with names like Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor playing pivotal roles. Reviews from fans and critics have been positive, praising the film’s execution and,...
A still from Euphoria
Zendaya’s latest film is garnering great reviews from critics and fans alike, and everyone is all praise for her performance in the film. Despite the reviews, the movie’s official CinemaScore rating is nowhere near what fans had expected.
Zendaya’s Challengers Received a B+ CinemaScore
A still from Challengers
Directed by the acclaimed Luca Guadagnino, Challengers has hit theaters and is generating a lot of buzz. The movie boasts a stellar cast alongside Zendaya, with names like Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor playing pivotal roles. Reviews from fans and critics have been positive, praising the film’s execution and,...
- 4/27/2024
- by Piyush Yadav
- FandomWire
Over the years Zendaya has presented her fans with a few of the most scintillating, jaw-dropping, onscreen romances with her co-stars. But among all, fans unanimously favored her and Tom Holland’s chemistry the most, given their reported relationship in real life.
Zendaya as Tashi Duncan in Challengers
However, on a recent note, fans believe Tom Holland might face a steady competition, after watching Zendaya’s new sports drama Challengers. Filled with raunchy scenes and threesomes, the movie featured a jaw-dropping chemistry between the actress and English actor Josh O’Connor.
Following the sequences, netizens have come to the conclusion that even Holland can’t beat O’Connor’s true romance with the actress.
Zendaya’s Convincing Onscreen Romance With Her Co-Stars
Being a woman of many talents, Zendaya has created an envious career spanning from television series to blockbuster franchises within a few years of her inception. Starting as a Disney kid,...
Zendaya as Tashi Duncan in Challengers
However, on a recent note, fans believe Tom Holland might face a steady competition, after watching Zendaya’s new sports drama Challengers. Filled with raunchy scenes and threesomes, the movie featured a jaw-dropping chemistry between the actress and English actor Josh O’Connor.
Following the sequences, netizens have come to the conclusion that even Holland can’t beat O’Connor’s true romance with the actress.
Zendaya’s Convincing Onscreen Romance With Her Co-Stars
Being a woman of many talents, Zendaya has created an envious career spanning from television series to blockbuster franchises within a few years of her inception. Starting as a Disney kid,...
- 4/27/2024
- by Krittika Mukherjee
- FandomWire
Zendaya, the iconic actress with a plethora of movies to her name, has found worldwide love and fame for her roles. From starring in Spider-Man: No Way Home to tagging alongside Chalamet in the Dune franchise, Zendaya has come a long way.
But with these massive movies by her side, none of them were able to break a record for Zendaya that Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers did. Being an iconic movie about friendship, lust, tennis, and, romance, Zendaya finally broke an iconic record.
Zendaya with Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist in Challengers
Zendaya Broke One Iconic Record With Challengers
Starring alongside Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor, Challengers sees the story of three friends with complex feelings and a love for tennis that intertwines in the future. With the brilliancy in directing by director Luca Guadagnino, the film is doing good in theaters.
Zendaya in Dune: Part Two (2024)
On the other hand,...
But with these massive movies by her side, none of them were able to break a record for Zendaya that Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers did. Being an iconic movie about friendship, lust, tennis, and, romance, Zendaya finally broke an iconic record.
Zendaya with Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist in Challengers
Zendaya Broke One Iconic Record With Challengers
Starring alongside Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor, Challengers sees the story of three friends with complex feelings and a love for tennis that intertwines in the future. With the brilliancy in directing by director Luca Guadagnino, the film is doing good in theaters.
Zendaya in Dune: Part Two (2024)
On the other hand,...
- 4/27/2024
- by Visarg Acharya
- FandomWire
Luca Guadagnino Says No Movie Should Have ‘90 Takes’ Per Scene: ‘Why Do You Have to Torture People?’
Many film directors, including the likes of David Fincher and Stanley Kubrick, openly believe in capturing endless takes of their actors as a way of giving space to the unexpected. But Luca Guadagnino is coming out against the philosophy. In a recent New York Times interview for “Challengers”, Guadagnino explained why he’s happy to walk away after one or two takes of a scene. “I hate pushing,” he said. “If it’s great, why do you have to torture people?”
“It’s exciting when you observe performance,” Guadagnino continued. “I will quit the moment in which I know that I’m going to be lazy or bored or I don’t have this energy of seeing performance happening — which, by the way, doesn’t need to take 90 takes. I think this movie is an average of one or two.”
In the realm of filmmaking, this is a surprisingly unique perspective,...
“It’s exciting when you observe performance,” Guadagnino continued. “I will quit the moment in which I know that I’m going to be lazy or bored or I don’t have this energy of seeing performance happening — which, by the way, doesn’t need to take 90 takes. I think this movie is an average of one or two.”
In the realm of filmmaking, this is a surprisingly unique perspective,...
- 4/27/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Director Luca Guadagnino has a new box office record to celebrate this weekend, as his tennis-based romance "Challengers" is on track for an opening weekend north of $15 million -- the filmmaker's biggest debut ever. Admittedly that was quite a low bar to clear, since Guadagnino has built his career in smaller arthouse films with slow rollouts and/or limited releases. His previous biggest opening weekend was the 2022 cannibalism-based romance "Bones and All" ($2.2 million).
Still, "Challengers" has significantly outstripped box office projections, which had it pegged for an opening weekend between $7 million and $12 million. Deadline reports that star and producer Zendaya has been a major driving force behind the movie's performance, with 55% of PostTrak audiences polled saying that she was the main reason for seeing it. That's not too surprising; Zendaya shares the movie's central love triangle with Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor, but the marketing team was clearly aware that...
Still, "Challengers" has significantly outstripped box office projections, which had it pegged for an opening weekend between $7 million and $12 million. Deadline reports that star and producer Zendaya has been a major driving force behind the movie's performance, with 55% of PostTrak audiences polled saying that she was the main reason for seeing it. That's not too surprising; Zendaya shares the movie's central love triangle with Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor, but the marketing team was clearly aware that...
- 4/27/2024
- by Hannah Shaw-Williams
- Slash Film
Being one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood today, Zendaya is buzzing her way into the box office with her back-to-back blockbusters, like Spider-Man: No Way Home, and the Dune sequels. Currently, the actress is all over the news, for her recently released steamy sports drama Challengers.
Zendaya as Tashi Duncan in Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers
While the film already created quite the buzz ahead of its release, due to the star cast and the steamy sequences, the true testament to Zendaya’s success came as Variety revealed the actress’ salary for Challengers. Bagging an eye-watering sum for her titular role in the film, the actress made her previous salaries from Dune 2 and No Way Home cry in the corner.
Zendaya’s Salary for Her Raunchy Tennis Story, Challengers
Navigating her career from her television debut in Disney’s sitcom Shake It Up as Rocky Blue, to her...
Zendaya as Tashi Duncan in Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers
While the film already created quite the buzz ahead of its release, due to the star cast and the steamy sequences, the true testament to Zendaya’s success came as Variety revealed the actress’ salary for Challengers. Bagging an eye-watering sum for her titular role in the film, the actress made her previous salaries from Dune 2 and No Way Home cry in the corner.
Zendaya’s Salary for Her Raunchy Tennis Story, Challengers
Navigating her career from her television debut in Disney’s sitcom Shake It Up as Rocky Blue, to her...
- 4/27/2024
- by Krittika Mukherjee
- FandomWire
Zendaya got her big break thanks to Disney Channel’s Shake It Up, and from there, she went on to become one of the most sought-after actresses of today. She has many incredible accolades to her name including a Golden Globe. Needless to say, the child prodigy grew up to hit Hollywood with a force never seen before.
A still from Disney Channel’s Shake It Up (2010-2013)
However, it seemed like for a long time Zendaya has been stuck playing younger characters in projects like Spider-Man and Euphoria. But now, the actress her has taken the stereotype and tossed it straight into the trash can with her latest movie, Challengers. In a recent interview, Zendaya talks about playing a grown-up in the film and the thoughts that went through her mind during the same.
Zendaya Talks about Playing an Adult in Challengers
Challengers (2024)
Directed by Luca Guadagnino, Challengers is...
A still from Disney Channel’s Shake It Up (2010-2013)
However, it seemed like for a long time Zendaya has been stuck playing younger characters in projects like Spider-Man and Euphoria. But now, the actress her has taken the stereotype and tossed it straight into the trash can with her latest movie, Challengers. In a recent interview, Zendaya talks about playing a grown-up in the film and the thoughts that went through her mind during the same.
Zendaya Talks about Playing an Adult in Challengers
Challengers (2024)
Directed by Luca Guadagnino, Challengers is...
- 4/27/2024
- by Mishkaat Khan
- FandomWire
Starring Zendaya alongside Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor in an unprecedented role, Challengers has emerged as one of the most anticipated films of the year. Following the unconventional relationship between three tennis players and how it evolves, the movie has been a topic of discussion about Zendaya’s acting prowess and its concept.
Challengers | Credit: MGM
And one of the scenes from the film that has been making the rounds since the first glimpse is the hotel room scene. However, screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes has revealed that the scene was not in the initial draft and was added based on an idea from director Luca Guadagnino, ultimately becoming one of the movie’s most notable moments.
Luca Guadagnino’s Vision Inspired Challengers‘ Hotel Room Scene
Challengers screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes recently opened up about working with the filmmaker Luca Guadagnino and how his vision for the film led to the addition of...
Challengers | Credit: MGM
And one of the scenes from the film that has been making the rounds since the first glimpse is the hotel room scene. However, screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes has revealed that the scene was not in the initial draft and was added based on an idea from director Luca Guadagnino, ultimately becoming one of the movie’s most notable moments.
Luca Guadagnino’s Vision Inspired Challengers‘ Hotel Room Scene
Challengers screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes recently opened up about working with the filmmaker Luca Guadagnino and how his vision for the film led to the addition of...
- 4/27/2024
- by Laxmi Rajput
- FandomWire
As Zendaya’s star rises in the wake of “Dune: Part Two” and now “Challengers,” the tennis film reminds viewers that she also has Marvel’s “Spider-Man” franchise with Tom Holland under her belt.
“Challengers” watches Zendaya play a fierce and ambitious woman whose career-stopping injury puts her in the position of coaching her professional tennis-playing husband, Art Donaldson (Mike Faist). Strategizing, she decides that a low-stakes Challenger tournament in New Rochelle might get some of Art’s mojo back — but things get complicated when the washed-up Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) takes the wild card slot to try and qualify for the U.S. Open. Patrick dated Tashi when she was in college at Stanford alongside Art, who used to play doubles with Patrick when they went to boarding school.
A line in the film calls to mind the actress’ rendition of “Mj,” aka Michelle in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“Challengers” watches Zendaya play a fierce and ambitious woman whose career-stopping injury puts her in the position of coaching her professional tennis-playing husband, Art Donaldson (Mike Faist). Strategizing, she decides that a low-stakes Challenger tournament in New Rochelle might get some of Art’s mojo back — but things get complicated when the washed-up Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) takes the wild card slot to try and qualify for the U.S. Open. Patrick dated Tashi when she was in college at Stanford alongside Art, who used to play doubles with Patrick when they went to boarding school.
A line in the film calls to mind the actress’ rendition of “Mj,” aka Michelle in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- 4/27/2024
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Zendaya’s romance-tennis drama Challengers is battling to serve up a $15 million opening at the box office but will have enough points to win the weekend match either way.
MGM Amazon Studio made the bold decision to open Luca Guadagnino’s sexy adult drama nationwide, versus a platform release, considering it’s more of an arthouse movie than a commercial play. MGM is still predicting a $15.2 million start based on Friday’s gross of $6.2 million from 3,477 cinemas and Zendaya’s huge fan base. Rival studios, however, have it coming in anywhere between $13.5 million and $15 million (heading into the weekend, tracking suggested the latter number).
Audiences aren’t embracing the R-rated film to the degree that reviewers did, giving it a B+ CinemaScore. Female moviegoers made up 58 percent of Friday’s audience, while a whopping 76 percent of ticket buyers were between ages 18 and 34. Challengers is playing best on the two coasts,...
MGM Amazon Studio made the bold decision to open Luca Guadagnino’s sexy adult drama nationwide, versus a platform release, considering it’s more of an arthouse movie than a commercial play. MGM is still predicting a $15.2 million start based on Friday’s gross of $6.2 million from 3,477 cinemas and Zendaya’s huge fan base. Rival studios, however, have it coming in anywhere between $13.5 million and $15 million (heading into the weekend, tracking suggested the latter number).
Audiences aren’t embracing the R-rated film to the degree that reviewers did, giving it a B+ CinemaScore. Female moviegoers made up 58 percent of Friday’s audience, while a whopping 76 percent of ticket buyers were between ages 18 and 34. Challengers is playing best on the two coasts,...
- 4/27/2024
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Challengers” netted a $6.2 million opening day from 3,477 North American theaters, a figure that includes $1.9 million from preview screenings. Amazon MGM Studios’ love-triangle drama is set to match industry projections for a $15 million debut. The tennis film also gets extra revenue from tickets for premium large-format auditoriums, including some Imax screens.
The Zendaya starrer will easily launch above the competition to claim the top spot on domestic charts — not small potatoes for an original, R-rated drama in the age of studio IP addiction. But “Challengers” does carry a $55 million production budget, so it’ll have to keep rallying into the summer months to score a profit in theaters. Reviews have been stellar, while early ticket buyers lean positive with audience survey firm Cinema Score tallying a “B+” grade. Amazon MGM has good buzz on its side for the weeks ahead.
“Challengers” stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a tennis prodigy who turns...
The Zendaya starrer will easily launch above the competition to claim the top spot on domestic charts — not small potatoes for an original, R-rated drama in the age of studio IP addiction. But “Challengers” does carry a $55 million production budget, so it’ll have to keep rallying into the summer months to score a profit in theaters. Reviews have been stellar, while early ticket buyers lean positive with audience survey firm Cinema Score tallying a “B+” grade. Amazon MGM has good buzz on its side for the weeks ahead.
“Challengers” stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a tennis prodigy who turns...
- 4/27/2024
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
You are reading an exclusive WrapPRO article for free. Want to level up your entertainment career? Go here for more information.
The box office is going through its customary late April slowdown prior to the start of the summer box office in May, though the lack of a major release on the level of pre-covid hits like “Shazam!” or “The Fate of the Furious” at the start of the month has caused overall grosses to sink lower.
That has allowed Amazon MGM’s “Challengers” to take the No. 1 spot as the only film with more than $10 million grossed this weekend, earning $6.1 million on Friday from 3,477 theaters as industry estimates have it making $15.2 million this weekend, consistent with pre-release projections.
Directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Zendaya, the mid-level budgeted tennis drama was acquired by Amazon MGM as part of a two-film package with the director’s 2022 horror romance “Bones and All.
The box office is going through its customary late April slowdown prior to the start of the summer box office in May, though the lack of a major release on the level of pre-covid hits like “Shazam!” or “The Fate of the Furious” at the start of the month has caused overall grosses to sink lower.
That has allowed Amazon MGM’s “Challengers” to take the No. 1 spot as the only film with more than $10 million grossed this weekend, earning $6.1 million on Friday from 3,477 theaters as industry estimates have it making $15.2 million this weekend, consistent with pre-release projections.
Directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Zendaya, the mid-level budgeted tennis drama was acquired by Amazon MGM as part of a two-film package with the director’s 2022 horror romance “Bones and All.
- 4/27/2024
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
As we predicted earlier this week, Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers is set to lead the box office this weekend, with Deadline reporting that it’s on track for a $15 million opening. While that’s a bit below the $17 million we forecasted for the film, that’s still a decent start for a character-driven drama, with the Zendaya-led film an Amazon-MGM production that’s set for an eventual debut on Prime Video. Indeed, the studio has had a lot more luck with launching their fare theatrically than many of their competitors, with Challengers opening similarly to Air and The Beekeeper, both Amazon-mgm movies whose theatrical success paved the way to big streaming numbers.
It certainly helps that Zendaya’s become a big star in the wake of Dune: Part Two’s blockbuster run this winter. However, whether the $50 million film is ultimately judged to be a box office success...
It certainly helps that Zendaya’s become a big star in the wake of Dune: Part Two’s blockbuster run this winter. However, whether the $50 million film is ultimately judged to be a box office success...
- 4/27/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have, in less than 15 years, established themselves as the most exciting composers working in contemporary film.
Their first score was David Fincher’s masterpiece “The Social Network.” The score was a haunting, atmospheric triumph, and it won them Oscars, an even more impressive feat given the Academy’s historic anti-rock band bias. And what began as an exclusive collaboration with Fincher soon blossomed outward – they have worked with Pixar and Ken Burns, scored a prestige TV version of Alan Moore’s “Watchmen,” and an animated “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” movie. They can do it all, while remaining uniquely them.
They are unstoppable, too. This week “Challengers,” from Luca Guadagnino, is released alongside their soundtrack album. And they have a pair of scores still coming this year – for the big-budget Apple movie “The Gorge” and for Guadagnino’s “Queer,” starring Daniel Craig.
For the purposes of this list,...
Their first score was David Fincher’s masterpiece “The Social Network.” The score was a haunting, atmospheric triumph, and it won them Oscars, an even more impressive feat given the Academy’s historic anti-rock band bias. And what began as an exclusive collaboration with Fincher soon blossomed outward – they have worked with Pixar and Ken Burns, scored a prestige TV version of Alan Moore’s “Watchmen,” and an animated “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” movie. They can do it all, while remaining uniquely them.
They are unstoppable, too. This week “Challengers,” from Luca Guadagnino, is released alongside their soundtrack album. And they have a pair of scores still coming this year – for the big-budget Apple movie “The Gorge” and for Guadagnino’s “Queer,” starring Daniel Craig.
For the purposes of this list,...
- 4/27/2024
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
A curious thing happened when the first trailer for “Challengers” came out: People started getting really, really weird online about the suggestion that the three main characters — played by Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor — have a threesome. It prompted memes and hand-wringing alike, as if this was the first time any actor in film history had ever pretended to engage in sex onscreen — never mind that the film ultimately doesn’t have an actual sex scene at all, instead withholding from the audience in order to build up the lingering sexual tension that eats away at all sides of its love triangle. The fervor around the possibility of sex in “Challengers” affirmed something that has been obvious for years now: Cinema, especially American cinema, is starved for films that sizzle with genuine sensuality.
So thank god that Luca Guadagnino is around. A hit or miss filmmaker, Guadagnino is nonetheless...
So thank god that Luca Guadagnino is around. A hit or miss filmmaker, Guadagnino is nonetheless...
- 4/26/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
A central scene in director Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers wasn’t in Justin Kuritzkes’ original script.
In the film, Zendaya plays Tashi Duncan, a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion, Art (West Side Story‘s Mike Faist), 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 (The Crown‘s Josh O’Conner) – his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend.
Key to the film is the love triangle between the characters and its power dynamics. The scene in question has the trio relaxing in a hotel room, flirting.
“How often does this happen, going after the same girl?” asks Tashi.
“Not as often as you think,” replies Art, before Patrick explains, “We usually have different types.”
It ends with the...
In the film, Zendaya plays Tashi Duncan, a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion, Art (West Side Story‘s Mike Faist), 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 (The Crown‘s Josh O’Conner) – his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend.
Key to the film is the love triangle between the characters and its power dynamics. The scene in question has the trio relaxing in a hotel room, flirting.
“How often does this happen, going after the same girl?” asks Tashi.
“Not as often as you think,” replies Art, before Patrick explains, “We usually have different types.”
It ends with the...
- 4/26/2024
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
“I’m watching tennis as we speak — Djokovic,” Zendaya tells me during one of her first interviews about “Challengers.”
It’s July 11, 2023. The 27-year-old actor is watching Wimbledon on TV while preparing for SAG-AFTRA to go on strike, which would leave her unable to attend her film’s Aug. 30 world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Of course, one week after the actors strike was ordered, Amazon MGM Studios decided to pull out of the festival, pushing “Challengers” to an April 26 debut.
Zendaya leads the film as Tashi Duncan, an 18-year-old tennis prodigy on her way to Serena Williams-like stardom until she injures her knee and loses her shot at a pro career. Over the course of 13 years, she continues to find herself ensnared in a psychosexual relationship with the sport and two other players, Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor).
“I’d never seen a character like Tashi.
It’s July 11, 2023. The 27-year-old actor is watching Wimbledon on TV while preparing for SAG-AFTRA to go on strike, which would leave her unable to attend her film’s Aug. 30 world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Of course, one week after the actors strike was ordered, Amazon MGM Studios decided to pull out of the festival, pushing “Challengers” to an April 26 debut.
Zendaya leads the film as Tashi Duncan, an 18-year-old tennis prodigy on her way to Serena Williams-like stardom until she injures her knee and loses her shot at a pro career. Over the course of 13 years, she continues to find herself ensnared in a psychosexual relationship with the sport and two other players, Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor).
“I’d never seen a character like Tashi.
- 4/26/2024
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Rian Johnson and Edgar Wright both think “Challengers” is a grand slam.
The two directors took to social media to praise Luca Guadagnino’s buzzy feature starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist as a tumultuous trio of tennis pros who may or may not all be harboring feelings for each other (they are.)
“So I loved loved Loved ‘Challengers’ – didn’t know what to expect, and walked out of the theater totally buzzing,” Johnson tweeted. “It’s smart and sophisticated while still poppy and propulsive, basically ‘Design For Living’ as a kick-ass sports movie. Seriously It’S So Good.”
Meanwhile, Wright shared on Instagram his own praise for the Guadagnino feature.
“Mio amico Luca Guadagnino has a grand slam* of a new movie finally hitting cinemas this week and it’s truly fantastic,” Wright wrote. “Go see the sexy, funny, and thrilling ‘Challengers,’ with the formidable trio of Zendaya,...
The two directors took to social media to praise Luca Guadagnino’s buzzy feature starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist as a tumultuous trio of tennis pros who may or may not all be harboring feelings for each other (they are.)
“So I loved loved Loved ‘Challengers’ – didn’t know what to expect, and walked out of the theater totally buzzing,” Johnson tweeted. “It’s smart and sophisticated while still poppy and propulsive, basically ‘Design For Living’ as a kick-ass sports movie. Seriously It’S So Good.”
Meanwhile, Wright shared on Instagram his own praise for the Guadagnino feature.
“Mio amico Luca Guadagnino has a grand slam* of a new movie finally hitting cinemas this week and it’s truly fantastic,” Wright wrote. “Go see the sexy, funny, and thrilling ‘Challengers,’ with the formidable trio of Zendaya,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is a smash, folks. First off, Alex Godfrey talks to ace actor Mike Faist, star of Luca Guadagnino's new tennis movie, Challengers [23:12 - 37:33 approx.], and then Chris Hewitt has a Zoom session (apologies if the sound is slightly distorted — tech issues) with Kerry Condon, Oscar-nominated star of The Banshees Of Inisherin, voice of F.R.I.D.A.Y. in the MCU, and star of this week's Liam Neeson thriller, In The Lands Of Saints And Sinners. [57:25 - 1:15:29 approx.] Either side of those, Chris hosts in the podbooth and is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and, for a spell, Sophie Butcher, to discuss the week's movie news, including the latest Deadpool & Wolverine trailer, review Challengers, In The Land Of Saints And Sinners, Boy Kills World, and Rebel Moon Part 2: The Scargiver, and tackle a listener question that has stuck around from last week, and mutated somehow into a...
- 4/26/2024
- by Chris Hewitt
- Empire - Movies
When determining what films have any chance of winning the Oscar for Best Picture, or even being in contention for it, there recently has been a returned focus toward the delicate balance of art and commerce. As theatrical exhibition continues to rebuild and reform in wake of the global pandemic, the last two Best Picture winners, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Oppenheimer,” were celebrated not just for being inventive, but for proving that audiences were still willing to come out in droves for a film without a colon or numeral toward the end of the title.
All that to say, if “Challengers” does well during its opening weekend at the box office, which is not a given, it will be much harder to ignore during awards season. As of now, there’s simply not much else down the line on the 2024 release calendar that fits into that sweet spot...
All that to say, if “Challengers” does well during its opening weekend at the box office, which is not a given, it will be much harder to ignore during awards season. As of now, there’s simply not much else down the line on the 2024 release calendar that fits into that sweet spot...
- 4/26/2024
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
When Zendaya attended a screening of her new sultry tennis drama Challengers this week, she wore a gray T-shirt with the words “I Told Ya” printed in bold black letters. The casual shirt was a noticeable change from the crisp whites and sour greens of the tennis-themed couture the star has donned during the Challengers international press tour, but it too was a callback to the movie.
The ‘I Told Ya” tee is something of a character in Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers — a film that follows tennis prodigy Tashi (Zendaya...
The ‘I Told Ya” tee is something of a character in Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers — a film that follows tennis prodigy Tashi (Zendaya...
- 4/26/2024
- by Kalia Richardson and Sage Anderson
- Rollingstone.com
Clockwise from left: Mica Levi (Dimitrios Vellis/Wikimedia Commons), David Byrne (Shutterstock), Jonny Greenwood (Shutterstock), Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (Shutterstock)Graphic: The A.V. Club
If you plan to see Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers this weekend, be prepared to be knocked on your ass by its propulsive score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
If you plan to see Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers this weekend, be prepared to be knocked on your ass by its propulsive score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
- 4/26/2024
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
It's safe to say first-time feature screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes came out of the gate hot with his first produced screenplay. "Challengers," the erotic tennis thriller starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor, was one of /Film's most anticipated films of 2024, and the movie lived up to our sky-high expectations by being a mesmerizing drama about three people locked in a deep and unconventional relationship.
But interestingly, one of the film's most important scenes was not in its first draft. I spoke to Kuritzkes this week in advance of the film's release, and he told me about how a story idea from director Luca Guadagnino eventually evolved into one of the movie's most famous moments:
"One of the first conversations we had was that Luca said, 'In a love triangle, all the corners should touch.' I heard that, and I thought, 'Yeah, all these people's lives are so deeply intwined,...
But interestingly, one of the film's most important scenes was not in its first draft. I spoke to Kuritzkes this week in advance of the film's release, and he told me about how a story idea from director Luca Guadagnino eventually evolved into one of the movie's most famous moments:
"One of the first conversations we had was that Luca said, 'In a love triangle, all the corners should touch.' I heard that, and I thought, 'Yeah, all these people's lives are so deeply intwined,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
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. That’s when Guadagnino chimed in, “Because Z is a director. I told you many times, and I repeat it now to The Times.” Zendaya stressed that she’s still “learning,” but given the pedigree of directors she’s worked with recently, like Guadagnino and Denis Villeneuve, she may be further along in her apprenticeship than she thinks.
Continue...
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. That’s when Guadagnino chimed in, “Because Z is a director. I told you many times, and I repeat it now to The Times.” Zendaya stressed that she’s still “learning,” but given the pedigree of directors she’s worked with recently, like Guadagnino and Denis Villeneuve, she may be further along in her apprenticeship than she thinks.
Continue...
- 4/26/2024
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Ben Thompson on Wbgr-fm on April 25th, 2024, reviewing “Challengers,” a new tennis themed film involving mixed doubles, featuring Zendaya. In theaters on April 26th.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Zendaya is Tashi Duncan, a world ranked tennis player who suffers a career ending injury right before she was about to turn pro. In flashbacks, while competing at the junior-to-collegiate level she meets Patrick (Josh O’Connor) and Art (Mike Faist), two promising male tennis players … she creates young-tennis-players in love connection with both. Fast forward to the present, Tashi is married to Art, and has coached him to a wealthy professional level. When Art starts to fade in the Wimbleton-level circuit, Tashi suggests a club challenge, where old buddy/flame Patrick reappears .. and while facing off against Art, volleys again for Tashi’s loyalties.
”Challengers” is in theaters beginning April 28th. Featuring Zendaya,...
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Zendaya is Tashi Duncan, a world ranked tennis player who suffers a career ending injury right before she was about to turn pro. In flashbacks, while competing at the junior-to-collegiate level she meets Patrick (Josh O’Connor) and Art (Mike Faist), two promising male tennis players … she creates young-tennis-players in love connection with both. Fast forward to the present, Tashi is married to Art, and has coached him to a wealthy professional level. When Art starts to fade in the Wimbleton-level circuit, Tashi suggests a club challenge, where old buddy/flame Patrick reappears .. and while facing off against Art, volleys again for Tashi’s loyalties.
”Challengers” is in theaters beginning April 28th. Featuring Zendaya,...
- 4/26/2024
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Much has been made about the smoky sexiness of Luca Guadagnino's "Challengers," notably the brief threesome scene near the beginning of the movie. While the scene is plenty sexy, it constitutes the bulk of the on-screen physicality of "Challengers," and it is, perhaps disappointingly, relegated to about 90 seconds of tongue kissing; Guadagnino's film is not the bisexual throuple film the ad campaign would have you believe it is.
Instead, it's a soapy, recognizably classical love triangle about three bitter souls who were never able to get over that fateful make-out session. The three players involved were promising tennis champions in high school. There's Tashi (Zendaya), the hotshot celebrity that is already being courted by marketers. There's Patrick (Josh O'Connor), the rough-hewn, stubble-encrusted stud. And there's Art (Mike Faist), the talented jokester whose magic shell quickly hardens into a crunchy layer of jealousy. "Challengers" follows them, via flashbacks, through their...
Instead, it's a soapy, recognizably classical love triangle about three bitter souls who were never able to get over that fateful make-out session. The three players involved were promising tennis champions in high school. There's Tashi (Zendaya), the hotshot celebrity that is already being courted by marketers. There's Patrick (Josh O'Connor), the rough-hewn, stubble-encrusted stud. And there's Art (Mike Faist), the talented jokester whose magic shell quickly hardens into a crunchy layer of jealousy. "Challengers" follows them, via flashbacks, through their...
- 4/26/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Zendaya is back on the big screen this weekend in her first-ever leading role for a feature film with the tennis movie Challengers.
Fans who are checking out the movie will likely want to know if they should stick around after the credits for an additional scene. Many movies these days, especially ones that are part of a franchise, will include extra footage at the end to tease future installments or to give audiences some bonus content.
So, do you need to stick around after Challengers?
Keep reading to find out if you need to wait for a post-credits scene…
We can confirm that No, there is no post-credits scene during the movie Challengers, so feel free to leave the theater right when the movie ends without having to worry about missing anything.
From director Luca Guadagnino, Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and...
Fans who are checking out the movie will likely want to know if they should stick around after the credits for an additional scene. Many movies these days, especially ones that are part of a franchise, will include extra footage at the end to tease future installments or to give audiences some bonus content.
So, do you need to stick around after Challengers?
Keep reading to find out if you need to wait for a post-credits scene…
We can confirm that No, there is no post-credits scene during the movie Challengers, so feel free to leave the theater right when the movie ends without having to worry about missing anything.
From director Luca Guadagnino, Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and...
- 4/26/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Zendaya has always been an iconic actress who puts her soul into every project that she stars in. From the Dune franchise to singing alongside Zac Efron in The Greatest Showman, Zendaya has done it all.
In a recent report, the Spider-Man: Homecoming actress is all set for the premiere of her movie titled Challengers. With a controversial trailer, it seems that Zendaya may just have another box-office annihilation at hand!
Zendaya in Dune 2
Zendaya May Have Another Box Office Annihilation At Hand!
Challengers, being a film directed by iconic director Luca Guadagnino, has gotten some high expectations to maintain around the world. The director, known for his earlier works such as Call Me By Your Name, and, Bones And All, has achieved quite the fame for his movies.
Zendaya in Challengers
With Zendaya, Mike Faist, and, Josh O’Connor in the lead roles, Challengers is about romance amidst the hard-hitting sport of tennis.
In a recent report, the Spider-Man: Homecoming actress is all set for the premiere of her movie titled Challengers. With a controversial trailer, it seems that Zendaya may just have another box-office annihilation at hand!
Zendaya in Dune 2
Zendaya May Have Another Box Office Annihilation At Hand!
Challengers, being a film directed by iconic director Luca Guadagnino, has gotten some high expectations to maintain around the world. The director, known for his earlier works such as Call Me By Your Name, and, Bones And All, has achieved quite the fame for his movies.
Zendaya in Challengers
With Zendaya, Mike Faist, and, Josh O’Connor in the lead roles, Challengers is about romance amidst the hard-hitting sport of tennis.
- 4/26/2024
- by Visarg Acharya
- FandomWire
Twelve years ago, Zendaya netted her feature debut in Disney Channel’s Frenemies.
The actress had been starring opposite Bella Thorne on the Disney series Shake It Up, about performers on a Chicago-based TV dance show. Zendaya was 14 when she and Thorne filmed the anthology comedy for director Daisy von Scherler Mayer, who had helmed the 1995 Parker Posey indie Party Girl and the 1998 feature Madeline. One of Frenemies‘ three connected storylines saw Zendaya and Thorne as aspiring magazine editors competing for a gig with an NYC publisher.
“Zendaya really wanted to have fun with the comedy and lean into it,” von Scherler Mayer says. “She chose to wear big glasses and be goofy, and it impressed me that she wanted to show off her comic chops and has such great timing.”
The film shot in Toronto, and the director recalls the lead actresses having slumber parties during production: “All those teenagers were true teenagers.
The actress had been starring opposite Bella Thorne on the Disney series Shake It Up, about performers on a Chicago-based TV dance show. Zendaya was 14 when she and Thorne filmed the anthology comedy for director Daisy von Scherler Mayer, who had helmed the 1995 Parker Posey indie Party Girl and the 1998 feature Madeline. One of Frenemies‘ three connected storylines saw Zendaya and Thorne as aspiring magazine editors competing for a gig with an NYC publisher.
“Zendaya really wanted to have fun with the comedy and lean into it,” von Scherler Mayer says. “She chose to wear big glasses and be goofy, and it impressed me that she wanted to show off her comic chops and has such great timing.”
The film shot in Toronto, and the director recalls the lead actresses having slumber parties during production: “All those teenagers were true teenagers.
- 4/26/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor‘s steamy three-way Challengers kiss has been generating a lot of attention since the movie’s first trailer. However, the moment almost didn’t make it into the movie!
In a new interview, director Luca Guadagnino explained that the scene was not in the original script.
He opened up about why it was added and reflected on filming the scene.
Keep reading to find out more…
“I don’t think that was in the script at the beginning. Not at all,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “We discussed at length with Justin [Kuritzkes, the movie's writer] the concept that the triangle needs to flesh out the possibility that all the corners touch — that if you’re jealous of someone, you’re not jealous of your partner, you’re jealous also not to be picked by the rival.”
He continued, adding, “You want to be the object of the affection of the rival,...
In a new interview, director Luca Guadagnino explained that the scene was not in the original script.
He opened up about why it was added and reflected on filming the scene.
Keep reading to find out more…
“I don’t think that was in the script at the beginning. Not at all,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “We discussed at length with Justin [Kuritzkes, the movie's writer] the concept that the triangle needs to flesh out the possibility that all the corners touch — that if you’re jealous of someone, you’re not jealous of your partner, you’re jealous also not to be picked by the rival.”
He continued, adding, “You want to be the object of the affection of the rival,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
What if opening a suspicious email attachment didn’t just mess up your computer; it manipulated reality itself? Such is the premise of the latest Dust short film, Signal Dark.
“Signal Dark is a Dust short film from Silver Edge Studios. Lucas Anderson is an insular It technician whose life is turned upside down when he stumbles across a mysterious email and its reality bending contents.”
Audiences can’t seem to get enough of Zendaya on the big screen, and her performance in Challengers takes her star power to another level.
“[Zendaya] has been executing her own Tashi-esque world domination. So far, she’s moved from kids’ TV star to being a part of some of the biggest movies on the planet… With Challengers, though, she’s about to go supernova, firing up in more ways than one to become the hottest talent in Hollywood. In Luca Guadagnino’s erotically-charged drama,...
“Signal Dark is a Dust short film from Silver Edge Studios. Lucas Anderson is an insular It technician whose life is turned upside down when he stumbles across a mysterious email and its reality bending contents.”
Audiences can’t seem to get enough of Zendaya on the big screen, and her performance in Challengers takes her star power to another level.
“[Zendaya] has been executing her own Tashi-esque world domination. So far, she’s moved from kids’ TV star to being a part of some of the biggest movies on the planet… With Challengers, though, she’s about to go supernova, firing up in more ways than one to become the hottest talent in Hollywood. In Luca Guadagnino’s erotically-charged drama,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Michael Ahr
- Den of Geek
Challengers has finally taken to the court.
Directed by Luca Guadagnino, the movie earned $1.9 million in box office previews for MGM and Amazon Studios as it prepares to open everywhere on Friday. The majority came from Thursday night shows, but there was also a special Imax sneak earlier this week.
The critically acclaimed movie features Zendaya as a tennis player caught up in a love triangle. She stars opposite Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor.
“Smart, seductive and bristling with sexual tension, Challengers is arguably Luca Guadagnino’s most purely pleasurable film to date; it’s certainly his lightest and most playful,” writes THR‘s David Rooney in his rave review. “As agile and dynamic as the many tennis matches it depicts, the love-triangle drama pits the rivalry on the court of two former best friends against their competing desire for a self-possessed woman whose hunger to win is not diminished...
Directed by Luca Guadagnino, the movie earned $1.9 million in box office previews for MGM and Amazon Studios as it prepares to open everywhere on Friday. The majority came from Thursday night shows, but there was also a special Imax sneak earlier this week.
The critically acclaimed movie features Zendaya as a tennis player caught up in a love triangle. She stars opposite Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor.
“Smart, seductive and bristling with sexual tension, Challengers is arguably Luca Guadagnino’s most purely pleasurable film to date; it’s certainly his lightest and most playful,” writes THR‘s David Rooney in his rave review. “As agile and dynamic as the many tennis matches it depicts, the love-triangle drama pits the rivalry on the court of two former best friends against their competing desire for a self-possessed woman whose hunger to win is not diminished...
- 4/26/2024
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Stars: Zendaya, Mike Faist, Josh O’Connor | Written by Justin Kuritzkes | Directed by Luca Guadagnino
Up-and-coming tennis star Tashi Duncan (Zendaya) has it all in the palm of her hand — talent, success, and future opportunities. Meanwhile, Art (Mike Faist) and Patrick (Josh O’Connor) are a duo who share a bond beyond their rackets, with the meeker Art being shaped into manhood by the boisterous Patrick. When Tashi’s career stops in its tracks, it’s a duel for attention between the boys, forming an uneasy yet seductive triad.
Oh Luca Guadagnino, you’ve done it again. The acclaimed director has already painted incredibly broad strokes with his somehow cohesive back catalogue, from sexy cannibals in Bones and All to a coven of ravenous witches in Suspiria. Challengers is simultaneously a completely new direction for him and a pleasingly familiar one, combining Guadagnino’s heady loves of sex and power into the layered,...
Up-and-coming tennis star Tashi Duncan (Zendaya) has it all in the palm of her hand — talent, success, and future opportunities. Meanwhile, Art (Mike Faist) and Patrick (Josh O’Connor) are a duo who share a bond beyond their rackets, with the meeker Art being shaped into manhood by the boisterous Patrick. When Tashi’s career stops in its tracks, it’s a duel for attention between the boys, forming an uneasy yet seductive triad.
Oh Luca Guadagnino, you’ve done it again. The acclaimed director has already painted incredibly broad strokes with his somehow cohesive back catalogue, from sexy cannibals in Bones and All to a coven of ravenous witches in Suspiria. Challengers is simultaneously a completely new direction for him and a pleasingly familiar one, combining Guadagnino’s heady loves of sex and power into the layered,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Jasmine Valentine
- Nerdly
Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers leaves its sex on the court. In the film, now in theaters, Zendaya stars as Tashi, a former rising star on the tennis circuit who finds herself caught in the net of a love triangle between two best friends and rival players, played by Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor. Challengers is brimming with sensuality, despite not actually having any sex scenes. Instead, in Guadagnino’s hands, it’s all in the serve. He gets the audience right up to the line, but never takes them over it. It creates a hunger in the movie, an insatiable horniness that is only satisfied by the electrifying matches on the court. The sexiest scene isn’t even the much-publicized threesome scene between Tashi and her “little white boys,” as she calls them. (Though that scene is even steamier than the trailer led you to believe.) Instead, the film’s...
- 4/26/2024
- TV Insider
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have released their original score for Luca Guadagnino’s film Challengers.
The score arrives two weeks after Reznor and Ross released Challengers [Mixed], which saw DJ and producer Boys Noize their original compositions from the film and remix them into one continuous, club-ready set. Now, coinciding with the release of Challengers, Reznor and Ross have shared the original score in full.
Starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist, Challengers takes place in the dramatic arena of competitive tennis, and features a love-and-sporting triangle between the three leads. At the center of the film is Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ buzzing, techno-forward score; in her review of the film, Senior Entertainment Editor Liz Shannon Miller lauded their compositions, describing the score as “bringing a level of bombast to the sports action that at times threatens to overwhelm the action, without ever actually proving distracting.”
The Challengers score also features,...
The score arrives two weeks after Reznor and Ross released Challengers [Mixed], which saw DJ and producer Boys Noize their original compositions from the film and remix them into one continuous, club-ready set. Now, coinciding with the release of Challengers, Reznor and Ross have shared the original score in full.
Starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist, Challengers takes place in the dramatic arena of competitive tennis, and features a love-and-sporting triangle between the three leads. At the center of the film is Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ buzzing, techno-forward score; in her review of the film, Senior Entertainment Editor Liz Shannon Miller lauded their compositions, describing the score as “bringing a level of bombast to the sports action that at times threatens to overwhelm the action, without ever actually proving distracting.”
The Challengers score also features,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Paolo Ragusa
- Consequence - Film News
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have released their original score for Luca Guadagnino’s film Challengers.
The score arrives two weeks after Reznor and Ross released Challengers [Mixed], which saw DJ and producer Boys Noize their original compositions from the film and remix them into one continuous, club-ready set. Now, coinciding with the release of Challengers, Reznor and Ross have shared the original score in full.
Starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist, Challengers takes place in the dramatic arena of competitive tennis, and features a love-and-sporting triangle between the three leads. At the center of the film is Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ buzzing, techno-forward score; in her review of the film, Senior Entertainment Editor Liz Shannon Miller lauded their compositions, describing the score as “bringing a level of bombast to the sports action that at times threatens to overwhelm the action, without ever actually proving distracting.”
The Challengers score also features,...
The score arrives two weeks after Reznor and Ross released Challengers [Mixed], which saw DJ and producer Boys Noize their original compositions from the film and remix them into one continuous, club-ready set. Now, coinciding with the release of Challengers, Reznor and Ross have shared the original score in full.
Starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist, Challengers takes place in the dramatic arena of competitive tennis, and features a love-and-sporting triangle between the three leads. At the center of the film is Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ buzzing, techno-forward score; in her review of the film, Senior Entertainment Editor Liz Shannon Miller lauded their compositions, describing the score as “bringing a level of bombast to the sports action that at times threatens to overwhelm the action, without ever actually proving distracting.”
The Challengers score also features,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Paolo Ragusa
- Consequence - Music
Luca Guadagnino isn’t exactly known for mainstream box office success, with credits on his resume like Call Me By Your Name, Suspiria and Bones and All. However, you take a young rising star like Zendaya and create a sexy love triangle around her in a sports setting, then as the late great Carl Weathers would say, “Baby, you got a stew going!” Guadagnino’s sports romance drama, Challengers, would open to $1.9 million at the box office in Thursday night previews.
According to Variety, while the R-rated film isn’t going to bust any blocks, as romance dramas rarely do, but the Amazon MGM movie is expected to win the weekend with an estimated $12 million to $15 million gross. Challengers is expected to overtake Civil War for the number one spot at the box office for the week. Civil War would enjoy two weeks at the top, becoming the biggest earner...
According to Variety, while the R-rated film isn’t going to bust any blocks, as romance dramas rarely do, but the Amazon MGM movie is expected to win the weekend with an estimated $12 million to $15 million gross. Challengers is expected to overtake Civil War for the number one spot at the box office for the week. Civil War would enjoy two weeks at the top, becoming the biggest earner...
- 4/26/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
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.
Critics love Challengers at 91% certified fresh, but last night’s audiences were so-so on it with three stars on Screen Engine/Comscore’s PostTrak at 3 1/2 stars, 75% positive and a 56% definite recommend. Women over 25 at 35% came out as well as womn under 25 at 25%, but guys over 25 got pulled along as dates at 25% with men under 25 at 14%. It wasn’t Zendaya’s girl fans who liked the movie the most, but men over 25 at 80%. Overall best demo grades for Challengers came from the 25-34 bunch and 45-54 folks. Originally the movie was scheduled to go in mid-September, but got pushed to this weekend due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Critics love Challengers at 91% certified fresh, but last night’s audiences were so-so on it with three stars on Screen Engine/Comscore’s PostTrak at 3 1/2 stars, 75% positive and a 56% definite recommend. Women over 25 at 35% came out as well as womn under 25 at 25%, but guys over 25 got pulled along as dates at 25% with men under 25 at 14%. It wasn’t Zendaya’s girl fans who liked the movie the most, but men over 25 at 80%. Overall best demo grades for Challengers came from the 25-34 bunch and 45-54 folks. Originally the movie was scheduled to go in mid-September, but got pushed to this weekend due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
- 4/26/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Thom Yorke has shared the original score he composed for Daniele Luchetti’s new film Confidenza.
Released via Xl recordings, the Radiohead and The Smile frontman offered previews of his Confidenza score this week with “Knife’s Edge” and “Prize Giving.” Confidenza, which was adapted from Domenico Starnone’s novel of the same name and released in Italian cinemas this week, is Yorke’s second film score after crafting the soundtrack to Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria remake in 2018.
Yorke’s Confidenza score was produced by previous collaborator Sam Petts-Davies. Consisting of 12 tracks, the album was recorded with the London Contemporary Orchestra alongside a jazz ensemble that included Robert Stillman and Yorke’s bandmate in The Smile, Tom Skinner. Stream the Confidenza soundtrack below.
Meanwhile, Yorke has been gearing up for the second leg of a European tour with The Smile in support of the supergroup’s new album, Wall of Eyes.
Released via Xl recordings, the Radiohead and The Smile frontman offered previews of his Confidenza score this week with “Knife’s Edge” and “Prize Giving.” Confidenza, which was adapted from Domenico Starnone’s novel of the same name and released in Italian cinemas this week, is Yorke’s second film score after crafting the soundtrack to Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria remake in 2018.
Yorke’s Confidenza score was produced by previous collaborator Sam Petts-Davies. Consisting of 12 tracks, the album was recorded with the London Contemporary Orchestra alongside a jazz ensemble that included Robert Stillman and Yorke’s bandmate in The Smile, Tom Skinner. Stream the Confidenza soundtrack below.
Meanwhile, Yorke has been gearing up for the second leg of a European tour with The Smile in support of the supergroup’s new album, Wall of Eyes.
- 4/26/2024
- by Paolo Ragusa
- Consequence - Film News
Thom Yorke has shared the original score he composed for Daniele Luchetti’s new film Confidenza.
Released via Xl recordings, the Radiohead and The Smile frontman offered previews of his Confidenza score this week with “Knife’s Edge” and “Prize Giving.” Confidenza, which was adapted from Domenico Starnone’s novel of the same name and released in Italian cinemas this week, is Yorke’s second film score after crafting the soundtrack to Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria remake in 2018.
Yorke’s Confidenza score was produced by previous collaborator Sam Petts-Davies. Consisting of 12 tracks, the album was recorded with the London Contemporary Orchestra alongside a jazz ensemble that included Robert Stillman and Yorke’s bandmate in The Smile, Tom Skinner. Stream the Confidenza soundtrack below.
Meanwhile, Yorke has been gearing up for the second leg of a European tour with The Smile in support of the supergroup’s new album, Wall of Eyes.
Released via Xl recordings, the Radiohead and The Smile frontman offered previews of his Confidenza score this week with “Knife’s Edge” and “Prize Giving.” Confidenza, which was adapted from Domenico Starnone’s novel of the same name and released in Italian cinemas this week, is Yorke’s second film score after crafting the soundtrack to Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria remake in 2018.
Yorke’s Confidenza score was produced by previous collaborator Sam Petts-Davies. Consisting of 12 tracks, the album was recorded with the London Contemporary Orchestra alongside a jazz ensemble that included Robert Stillman and Yorke’s bandmate in The Smile, Tom Skinner. Stream the Confidenza soundtrack below.
Meanwhile, Yorke has been gearing up for the second leg of a European tour with The Smile in support of the supergroup’s new album, Wall of Eyes.
- 4/26/2024
- by Paolo Ragusa
- Consequence - Music
It’s only fitting that on the day the score drops for Challengers, composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Thom Yorke’s first score since Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria would arrive. The Radiohead and Smile frontman’s latest work is the 12-track score for Daniele Luchetti’s Confidenza aka Trust, the Italian director adaptation of Domenico Starnone’s novel.
A collaboration with producer Sam Petts-Davies, the London Contemporary Orchestra, and a jazz ensemble featuring Tom Skinner and Robert Stillman, as reported by Stereogum, it’s not just an instrumental production as Yorke provides vocals throughout.
The film, which premiered at International Film Festival Rotterdam earlier this year and opens in Italy this week, stars Elio Germano as a teacher in his forties named Pietro Vella who works in a rundown Roman high school. He strongly believes he can help students strive for a better future and Teresa, and bright and rebellious student,...
A collaboration with producer Sam Petts-Davies, the London Contemporary Orchestra, and a jazz ensemble featuring Tom Skinner and Robert Stillman, as reported by Stereogum, it’s not just an instrumental production as Yorke provides vocals throughout.
The film, which premiered at International Film Festival Rotterdam earlier this year and opens in Italy this week, stars Elio Germano as a teacher in his forties named Pietro Vella who works in a rundown Roman high school. He strongly believes he can help students strive for a better future and Teresa, and bright and rebellious student,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Luca Guadagnino’s love triangle drama Challengers starts its UK-Ireland box office campaign this weekend through Warner Bros.
Opening in 702 sites with additional venues still being added, the film stars Zendaya, 2016 Screen Star of Tomorrow Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist in the story of three aspiring tennis professionals fighting both for championships and romantically.
Initially programmed as the opening film of last year’s Venice Film Festival, Challengers was withdrawn following the actors’ strike, which would have prevented its starry cast from promoting the release.
It is Italian filmmaker Guadagnino’s eighth feature film. He broke out internationally with his fifth,...
Opening in 702 sites with additional venues still being added, the film stars Zendaya, 2016 Screen Star of Tomorrow Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist in the story of three aspiring tennis professionals fighting both for championships and romantically.
Initially programmed as the opening film of last year’s Venice Film Festival, Challengers was withdrawn following the actors’ strike, which would have prevented its starry cast from promoting the release.
It is Italian filmmaker Guadagnino’s eighth feature film. He broke out internationally with his fifth,...
- 4/26/2024
- ScreenDaily
“Challengers” is getting ready to serve at the box office.
Director Luca Guadagnino’s sexy tennis drama made $1.9 million at the the box office in Thursday previews.
The Amazon MGM film, which stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, is expected to make between $12 million and $15 million in its opening weekend. It’s poised to take the number one spot this weekend and beat A24’s “Civil War,” which has conquered the box office the last two weeks.
The trio of young stars play tennis pros caught in a personal and professional entanglement. Zendaya, who’s coming off the sci-fi blockbuster “Dune: Part Two,” plays Tashi Duncan, a former prodigy who had to retire from tennis after a serious injury. Mike Faist, who played Riff in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” is Art Donaldson, another tennis pro caught in a losing streak who later marries Tashi and is coached by her.
Director Luca Guadagnino’s sexy tennis drama made $1.9 million at the the box office in Thursday previews.
The Amazon MGM film, which stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, is expected to make between $12 million and $15 million in its opening weekend. It’s poised to take the number one spot this weekend and beat A24’s “Civil War,” which has conquered the box office the last two weeks.
The trio of young stars play tennis pros caught in a personal and professional entanglement. Zendaya, who’s coming off the sci-fi blockbuster “Dune: Part Two,” plays Tashi Duncan, a former prodigy who had to retire from tennis after a serious injury. Mike Faist, who played Riff in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” is Art Donaldson, another tennis pro caught in a losing streak who later marries Tashi and is coached by her.
- 4/26/2024
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
What To Watch This Weekend: Crakk, Challengers, etc. (Photo Credit – IMDb)
What to Watch This Weekend? If you also have this question on your mind, we have everything sorted for you. This weekend, several titles are releasing to entertain you. From “Crakk” and “Laapataa Ladies” to “Zendaya’s Challengers,” the movies on streaming platforms and in theatres are critically acclaimed.
In this article, we have mentioned several big releases that will keep you engrossed and make your weekend wholesome. From thrillers to comedies, there’s something in every genre. So, take note of these titles and don’t miss out on catching up on them Asap.
What to Watch This Weekend (Ott Releases) Bhimaa
Available on: Disney+ Hotstar
The Telugu fantasy action drama stars Tottempudi Gopichand and Malvika Sharma, directed by A Harsha.
Trending Ruslaan Movie Review: Aayush Sharma Packs In Kicks & Punches In A Spy Thriller With Hits & Misses...
What to Watch This Weekend? If you also have this question on your mind, we have everything sorted for you. This weekend, several titles are releasing to entertain you. From “Crakk” and “Laapataa Ladies” to “Zendaya’s Challengers,” the movies on streaming platforms and in theatres are critically acclaimed.
In this article, we have mentioned several big releases that will keep you engrossed and make your weekend wholesome. From thrillers to comedies, there’s something in every genre. So, take note of these titles and don’t miss out on catching up on them Asap.
What to Watch This Weekend (Ott Releases) Bhimaa
Available on: Disney+ Hotstar
The Telugu fantasy action drama stars Tottempudi Gopichand and Malvika Sharma, directed by A Harsha.
Trending Ruslaan Movie Review: Aayush Sharma Packs In Kicks & Punches In A Spy Thriller With Hits & Misses...
- 4/26/2024
- by Pooja Darade
- KoiMoi
[Editor’s note: The following article contains some spoilers for “Challengers.”]
“Then the lights go out and it’s just the three of us / You me and all that stuff we’re so scared of”
By the time Luca Guadagnino’s sexy, thrilling “Challengers” sticks two of its leads in — of all places — a suburban Applebee’s, we have a sense of where this is all going.
Built around a love triangle, Guadagnino’s latest stars Zendaya as once-in-a-generation tennis prodigy Tashi, who gets entangled (both personally and professionally) with the sparky Patrick (Josh O’Connor) and his more focused Bff Art (Mike Faist). Told in a nonlinear fashion, the film volleys back and forth between time and place, always coming to rest on a key 2019 match between Patrick and Art.
While screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes’ original script contains plenty of twists, turns, and revelations, the film starts in a place where we soon learn Tashi is retired, she’s married to...
“Then the lights go out and it’s just the three of us / You me and all that stuff we’re so scared of”
By the time Luca Guadagnino’s sexy, thrilling “Challengers” sticks two of its leads in — of all places — a suburban Applebee’s, we have a sense of where this is all going.
Built around a love triangle, Guadagnino’s latest stars Zendaya as once-in-a-generation tennis prodigy Tashi, who gets entangled (both personally and professionally) with the sparky Patrick (Josh O’Connor) and his more focused Bff Art (Mike Faist). Told in a nonlinear fashion, the film volleys back and forth between time and place, always coming to rest on a key 2019 match between Patrick and Art.
While screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes’ original script contains plenty of twists, turns, and revelations, the film starts in a place where we soon learn Tashi is retired, she’s married to...
- 4/26/2024
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.