Challengers (film)

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Challengers
Theatrical release poster
Directed byLuca Guadagnino
Written byJustin Kuritzkes
Produced by
Starring
CinematographySayombhu Mukdeeprom
Edited byMarco Costa
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • March 26, 2024 (2024-03-26) (Sydney)
  • April 26, 2024 (2024-04-26) (United States)
Running time
131 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Challengers is a 2024 American romantic sports film directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes. The film stars Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, and Mike Faist. Its plot follows a professional tennis champion who plots a comeback with the help of his wife, a famed tennis prodigy who retired after injuring her knee in a match. The final match pits him against another up-and-coming player, who also happens to be his wife's former lover.[2]

After being delayed from its initial September 2023 release date and pulled out from its slot as the opening film of the 80th Venice International Film Festival due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, Challengers premiered in Sydney, Australia, on March 26, 2024, and is scheduled to be released in the United States and Canada by Amazon MGM Studios on April 26, 2024. The film received widespread acclaim from critics.

Premise

Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach after a career-ending injury, is married to a champion on a losing streak. Her strategy for her husband's redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against his former best friend, who is also Tashi's former boyfriend.[2]

Cast

Production

Development

It was announced in February 2022 that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had landed the film, which Luca Guadagnino directed and Zendaya, Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist cast to star. Zendaya also served as a producer on the film.[5] In a 2022 interview with Collider, Guadagnino cited Kuritzkes' screenplay, Amy Pascal, and Zendaya as inspirations for making the film.[6]

Filming

Principal photography began on May 3, 2022, in Boston, where a casting call took place for local residents to audition to play tennis players, general extras, and stand-ins.[7] In preparation for her role, Zendaya spent three months training with pro-tennis player-turned-coach Brad Gilbert.[8] Gilbert was also a consultant on the film.[9] Filming occurred in and around the Back Bay and East Boston neighborhoods.[10] Sayombhu Mukdeeprom served as cinematographer.[11] Jonathan Anderson, creative director of Spanish luxury brand Loewe, served as costume designer.[12] Filming wrapped on June 26, 2022.[13]

Post-production

Guadagnino visited Zendaya on the set of

ADR for Challengers.[14] Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross composed the film's score, having previously worked with Guadagnino on 2022's Bones and All.[15] Post-production was completed by April 2023.[16]

Music

The film's original score was composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. A remixed version was released in collaboration with Boys Noize.[17]

Marketing

A trailer was released on June 20, 2023.[9] Zendaya revealed the film's poster on her Instagram at the new year 2024 along with its release date.[18] She jokingly called the film "Codependency: The Movie", while O'Connor compared it to the 2007 comedy Superbad.[19]

Release

Challengers premiered in Sydney, Australia on March 26, 2024 and is scheduled to be released in theaters and IMAX in the United States and Canada by Amazon MGM Studios on April 26, 2024, the same month as the centennial anniversary of the founding of MGM on April 17.[20][21][22][23][24]

The film was previously set to be released on September 15, 2023,

Amazon MGM Studios due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike at the time.[21]

Warner Bros. Pictures serves as the film's international distributor.[28] Although the film was initially set for a direct-to streaming release on Amazon Prime Video in France instead of a theatrical release, the decision was reversed in January 2024, meaning the film would start streaming on the service 17 months after its initial theatrical release. While it was rumored the film would be released on April 24, 2024, two days before its release in the United States, a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery denied this, stating the film had not been dated for a French theatrical release yet.[29][30]

Reception

On the

weighted average, assigned the film a score of 88 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[32]

Robbie Collin of The Telegraph awarded the film five stars out of five, writing that the "romantic thriller is the most purely pleasurable film of the year.”[33]

References

  1. ^ "Challengers (15)". BBFC. April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Guadagnino, Luca (April 26, 2024), Challengers (Drama, Romance, Sport), Zendaya, Mike Faist, Josh O'Connor, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Pascal Pictures, retrieved March 30, 2024
  3. ^ a b c Hipes, Patrick (June 20, 2023). "Challengers Trailer: Zendaya Playing Her Own Game Of Doubles In Luca Guadagnino's Tennis Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  4. ^ "Actor Jake Jensen: Stepping into the Spotlight with Two Upcoming Films, Including a Zendaya Co-Starring Project". Distract. August 28, 2023. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  5. ^ Kroll, Justin (February 11, 2022). "Luca Guadagnino Sets Zendaya, Josh O'Connor & Mike Faist To Star In 'Challengers' For MGM And Amy Pascal". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  6. ^ Jones, Tamera (November 6, 2022). "Luca Guadagnino on Directing 'Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams' and Having Martin Scorsese In the Documentary". Collider. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  7. ^ "Casting agency seeks extras, Zendaya lookalike for movie filming in Boston". www.boston.com. Archived from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  8. ^ Tennis.com. "Zendaya's tennis skills impress on the set of upcoming film 'Challengers'". Tennis.com. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Flam, Charna (June 20, 2023). "'Challengers' Trailer: Zendaya, Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist Star in Luca Guadagnino's Sexy Tennis Love Triangle". Variety. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  10. ^ "All the Hollywood movies and TV shows filming in Massachusetts in 2022". Boston.com. May 18, 2022. Archived from the original on June 9, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  11. ^ Guadagnino, Luca (June 17, 2022). "Luca Guadagnino: Things I've Learned as a Moviemaker". MovieMaker Magazine. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  12. ^ "Jonathan Anderson Turns Up the Heat with Costume Designs for Luca Guadagnino's 'Challengers'". Hypebae. June 21, 2023. Archived from the original on August 1, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  13. ^ "Luca Guadagnino's 'Challengers' starring Zendaya, Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist has officially wrapped filming". June 27, 2022. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  14. ^ "Timothée Chalamet & Zendaya Gave Bones & All Director Peek At Dune Set". Screen Rant. November 27, 2022. Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  15. ^ "Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross Scoring Luca Guadagnino's 'Challengers'". Film Music Reporter. October 16, 2022. Archived from the original on October 16, 2022. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  16. ^ Vivarelli, Nick (April 21, 2023). "Drew Starkey to Star With Daniel Craig in Luca Guadagnino's 'Queer' With Filming Starting This Month in Italy (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  17. ^ Chelosky, Danielle (April 12, 2024). "Stream Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross' Challengers Score Remixed By Boys Noize". Stereogum. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  18. ^ Bythrow, Nick (January 2, 2024). "Zendaya's Delayed Movie Gets Stunning New Poster As 2024 Release Date Approaches". ScreenRant. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  19. ^ Walsh, Savannah (August 22, 2023). "Zendaya and Josh O'Connor Play 'Terrible,' 'Delusional' People in 'Challengers'". Vanity Fair. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  20. ^ Whittock, Jesse (May 8, 2023). "Amazon MGM Studios Distribution To Launch At LA Screenings". Deadline. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  21. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 21, 2023). "Zendaya R-Rated Pic 'Challengers' From Luca Guadagnino Heads To Spring 2024 Due To Actors Strike". Deadline. Archived from the original on August 9, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  22. ^ https://www.businessinsider.com/inventions-brands-events-100-years-ago-2024-1
  23. ^ https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/zendaya-challengers-premiere-dress-2024
  24. ^ https://www.imax.com/movie/challengers
  25. ^ Challengers, September 14, 2023, archived from the original on March 22, 2023, retrieved March 23, 2023
  26. ^ Ulatowski, Rachel (June 26, 2022). "Zendaya Plays Tennis in Set Video From Her No Way Home Follow-Up Movie". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  27. ^ "Luca Guadagnino and Zendaya to open 80th Venice Film Festival". euronews. July 7, 2023. Archived from the original on July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  28. ^ "Zendaya explains career shift for new movie Challengers". Digital Spy. August 25, 2023. Archived from the original on September 23, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  29. ^ Leffler, Rebecca (January 11, 2024). "Luca Guadagnino's 'Challengers' gets French theatrical release, will not head straight to Prime Video as planned". Screen Daily. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  30. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (June 19, 2023). "Zendaya and Luca Guadagnino's 'Challengers' to Skip France Theatrical Release, Debut on Prime Video". Variety. Archived from the original on June 19, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  31. ^ "Challengers". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  32. Fandom, Inc.
    Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  33. ^ "Challengers: Zendaya's tennis love triangle serves up racquet-twanging steaminess". The Telegraph. April 12, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2024.

External links

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