As of late, Zendaya cannot miss on TV or on the big screen. Spider-Man fans know her as the newest iteration of MJ, Euphoria fans know her for two-time Emmy-winning performance as Rue Bennett on the controversial HBO teen drama. After a small role in Dune Part I, she is now expected to play a major part in Part II. Her star is only growing, and as a part of two huge franchises and a polarizing TV show, Zendaya has cemented herself as a Hollywood mainstay. Her new film Challengers, directed by Luca Guadagnino, is a bit of a new test. Guadagnino is known for Call Me By Your Name, Bones and All and A Bigger Splash. All are very sensual, dramatic, and thoroughly lived in. You can feel the heat and the texture in his movies, and his actors are always extremely physical and play extremely emotionally worn-out characters. Not that Zendaya’s roles have not been “deep” or her films and TV projects have not been as “intricate” as Guadagnino’s, but they have just been different kinds of projects. She is certainly no stranger to the big stage, and Challengers is just another opportunity for her to strut her stuff. Her Italian director has made a name for himself in Hollywood in the last five years. His film Call Me By Your Name was nominated for just about everything, including the Academy Award for Best Picture. His previous film Bones and All was well reviewed, and holds an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film also stars Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, good actors who will definitely benefit from starring in a movie with an established director and superstar actress. 

Background

Challengers is being described as a “romantic sports comedy-drama film” that was written by playwright, novelist, and screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes, who is known for his prior Youtube stardom and is also writing Guadagnino’s next film, Queer. From what we know, Challengers will follow Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), a former grand slam tennis champion who is now coaching her husband against her former lover and his former best friend in a challenger tennis event. Mike Faist plays Art, the husband and now coaching student of Zendaya, and Josh O’Connor plays Patrick, Zendaya’s former lover and Art’s former best friend. The film was scheduled to release on September 15th, 2023, but was delayed to April 26, 2024 due to SAG AFTRA and the WGA still not being offered improved pay, working conditions, and job security by the majority of big studios. 

Zendaya’s Co-Stars

Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor star as Art and Patrick, respectively. They are the two men who vie for the attention and love of Zendaya’s Tashi Donaldson in the film. Faist is a quickly rising actor who got his start in the theater, first in a regional production of Newsies and then on Broadway. He has since went on to star in 13 movies, gaining a lot of attention and praise for his role as Riff in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story adaptation. He received numerous nominations from different award ceremonies for his supporting role in the film, and it seems to have been a big boost for his career. Before Challengers releases, Faist will star in the upcoming Jeff Nichols movie, The Bikeriders, starring Austin Butler and Tom Hardy. O’Connor has also had a very deep history in acting, with contributions in TV, movies, and the stage since 2011. Most famously, he has starred in Peaky Blinders and was the lead in seasons 3 and 4 in The Crown as Prince Charles. He was nominated for and won numerous awards for his role in The Crown including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a TV Series. These are two established actors who haven’t necessarily blown up globally yet but are extremely talented, and, with this role, should be receiving more public recognition for their talents.