Challengers (2024)

[filmbuffTX]

Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist Starring in Luca Gaudagnino’s Romantic Drama ‘Challengers’

MGM is closing deals on the project that will shoot this spring.



Zendaya, The Crown’s Josh O’Connor and West Side Story breakout Mike Faist have teamed up with filmmaker Luca Gaudagnino for Challengers, a romantic drama that MGM has picked up.

The tennis-themed project is being produced by Amy Pascal and her Pascal Pictures banner as well as Gaudagnino and Zendaya. The script, by playwright-singer-author Justin Kuritzkes, was featured on the 2021 Black List, a ranking of the most-liked non-produced script in Hollywood.

The logline, per MGM, centers on “Tashi, a tennis player turned coach, (who) has taken her husband, Art, and transformed him from a mediocre player into a world-famous grand slam champion. To jolt him out of his recent losing streak, she makes him play a ‘Challenger’ event — close to the lowest level of tournament on the pro tour — where he finds himself standing across the net from the once-promising, now burnt-out Patrick: his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend.” Old rivalries, on and off the court, are reignited.

Zendaya is playing Tashi. Faist is the husband, and O’Connor is the former flame.

Zendaya’s deal is closed (and may be an ace of a deal, according to Puck, which reports that the actress is getting over $10 million for her services) while O’Connor and Faist are in negotiations for the feature, which is planning a spring shoot on the East Coast.

Guadagnino is currently in post-production on cannibal drama Bones and All, starring his Call Me By Your Name star Timothee Chalamet and Taylor Russell. He is repped by WME, Range Media Partners and Goodman, Genow.

Zendaya can currently be seen swinging on screen in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which has grossed almost $1.8 billion since it’s Dec. 17, 2021 release. The Euphoria star also appears in Dune, which this week earned 10 Oscar nominations. She is repped by CAA, Monster Talent Management and Granderson Des Rochers.

O’Connor won an Emmy last year for his portrayal of Prince Charles in Netflix’s acclaimed drama, The Crown. He is also known for the gay drama, God’s Own Country. The actor is repped by CAA, Independent Talent Group.

Faist has been generating buzz for his scene-stealing work as Riff in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, receiving his first BAFTA award nomination for this performance. He was nominated for a Tony for originating the role of Connor Murphy in the hit Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen. The actor is repped by A3 Artists Agency and Jackoway, Austen.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/mo...rs-1235091887/

[Gacivory]

How many projects has Luca been attached to? Either way I’ll watch them when they come out.

[Cremildo]

Release date: September 15.

[Cremildo]

Rated R for language, sexual content and graphic nudity.

[Monterey Jack]

"Graphic nudity" = "Some dude's ballsack".

[Hedrox]

Originally Posted by Monterey Jack

"Graphic nudity" = "Some dude's ballsack".

Well it's definitely not going to be from Zendaya, you can be sure of that. She has a "No-Nudity" clause in her contracts apparently, and good for her for holding her stance.

[Monterey Jack]

Originally Posted by Hedrox

Well it's definitely not going to be from Zendaya, you can be sure of that. She has a "No-Nudity" clause in her contracts apparently, and good for her for holding her stance.

Not so much for the rest of us...

[ghostsofjoy]

Originally Posted by Monterey Jack

"Graphic nudity" = "Some dude's ballsack".

Sign me up!

[HipsterTrash]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

How many projects has Luca been attached to? Either way I’ll watch them when they come out.

Wow, yeah. Looking at his imdb I see that he's starting to build up a back catalog similar to del Toro. Not as crazy as him...yet.

[PBateman87]

Wasn't one of Guadagnino's supposed upcoming projects going to be a Call Me By Your Name sequel of sorts? I guess that one came to a grinding halt due to Armie Hammer's...stuff, lol.

[HipsterTrash]

Originally Posted by PBateman87

Wasn't one of Guadagnino's supposed upcoming projects going to be a Call Me By Your Name sequel of sorts? I guess that one came to a grinding halt due to Armie Hammer's...stuff, lol.

Fine Me. Name of the second book too.

I could see either:

- recast Oliver with someone that looks similar
- change the story drastically to make up for not having Oliver
- or controversially, forgive Armie and give him a second chance to redeem himself and go along with the original script.

The last seems unlikely though.

[Hedrox]

Originally Posted by HipsterTrash

Fine Me. Name of the second book too.

I could see either:

- recast Oliver with someone that looks similar
- change the story drastically to make up for not having Oliver
- or controversially, forgive Armie and give him a second chance to redeem himself and go along with the original script.

The last seems unlikely though.

Find Me wasn't a great book, to put it lightly (not that that would stop him from doing it and turning out great).

Guadagnino has a lot of projects lined up: Scarface ramake (which may have been shelved?), Burial Rites with JLaw, Lord of the Flies, Kubrick's Aryan Papers, Audrey Hepburn biopic, just to name a few. I don't think the CMBYN sequel is a priority right now, if it's even possible without Oliver.

[cannonball22]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1622peNIuqc&ab

[Gacivory]

Yep, I’m into this movie!

[-JKR-]

It's horny. Zendaya. I like it.

[filmbuffTX]

Looks good! The trailer should’ve said less though.

[Hedrox]

As a Luca Guadagnino enjoyer I think this looks fantastic. He is just so good at presenting intimate human interaction in a raw and passionate way. This two minute trailer was more effective at establishing a believable romance than some entire movies.

That said, I wouldn't blame those not familiar with him for thinking this is just some generic romantic thriller based on this footage alone.

[s2mikey]

Originally Posted by Monterey Jack

"Graphic nudity" = "Some dude's ballsack".

NOOOOOOO!

Originally Posted by Hedrox

Well it's definitely not going to be from Zendaya, you can be sure of that. She has a "No-Nudity" clause in her contracts apparently, and good for her for holding her stance.

Bummer. Love to see her without stuff on.

Originally Posted by Monterey Jack

Not so much for the rest of us...

Agreed. Well, maybe the movie will be OK anyways. LOL.

[Foggy]

Remember when films like this would be decent draws for outside the summer season, feels like it slipped straight out of the 90’s.

I’m all for it.

[rooboy78]

So are the guys supposed to be hooking up as well? That’s the impression I got when she was knocking on the hotel room door and they answered half-dressed.