In Luca Guadagnino's sports drama, the Emmy-winning actress plays a former tennis prodigy-turned-coach, who pits her husband against her ex-love in a tennis match.
- Jun 21, 2023
AceShowbiz - Zendaya Coleman turns a threesome into a tennis challenge in the first trailer for "Challengers". From Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, the film stars the two-time Emmy-winning actress as a former tennis prodigy, Tashi Duncan.
The trailer recounts her first meeting with fellow tennis players Patrick and Art, portrayed by Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist respectively, who both develop romantic interests in her. Tashi finds herself in a steamy love triangle with the two men, but her career soon takes a drastic turn following an injury.
Years later, Tashi has been married to Grand Slam champion Art and becomes his coach. Following a losing streak, Tashi sets up a match between her husband and his former best friend Patrick to jolt him out of his slump.
"I'm playing for both of us, Tashi," Art tells Tashi at one point in the trailer. "You know what tennis is?" Tashi is heard saying in the trailer, which is set to Rihanna's "S&M". She adds, "It's a relationship." The trailer also hints at a brewing tension between the former friends-turned-tennis rivals ahead of their match.
Zendaya trained three months with former tennis player Brad Gilbert for the role. Praising the actress for her all-out performance in the movie, Guadagnino told Variety, "She's wonderful. I mean, wow. We edited the movie and we almost actually don't use any of her double. She's so good."
Guadagnino also talked about the characters in the film. "I think those three characters in that movie are beautifully complex and really f**ked-up people that I love very much," he said at the premiere of "Bones and All" back in October 2022. "And a sports film, why not? It's hyperkinetic, and I do films, so it's great."
Justin Kuritzkes wrote the script, with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross composing the score. Zendaya also serves as producer along with "Spider-Man: No Way Home" producer Amy Pascal, Guadagnino and Rachel O'Connor.
The romantic sports comedy-drama is slated to hit theaters across the nation on September 15.
