Challengers releases April 26th, 2024.
The cast and creative team behind one of the most anticipated films of the year sat down to discuss the creative process that brought it to life just ahead of its upcoming release. Challengers — directed by acclaimed filmmaker Luca Guadagnino — stars Zendaya (Spider-Man: No Way Home), Josh O’Connor (The Crown) and Mike Faist (West Side Story) as talented athletes caught up in a web of seduction, betrayal and tennis. You can check out my review of the film here.
Challengers Explores the Steamy Side of Tennis
Luca Guadagnino follows up his cannibal romance Bones and All with a very different story of love. While Bone and All was undeniably smaller in scale, Challengers is a film of excess. From its pulse-pounding musical score, unpredictable camera movements and its over-the-top melodrama, it’s an indulgent and captivating experience unlike anything else we’ve seen this year. The decision to take-on Challengers as his next project boiled down the script — written by Justin Kuritzkes — and the characters at its core.
“The Script was fantastic. The characters were amazing.” – Guadagnino
The story is about far more than tennis; however, as the focal-point of the film’s plot and the driving force behind many of the character’s motivations, the actor’s ability to skillfully play the sport is imperative. Zendaya plays Tashi Duncan, a rising tennis-star with beauty and allure that place her at the center of the film’s love-triangle. Convincingly playing a top-tier tennis player is no easy task, especially when the performer has zero experience with the sport. “I had no idea about tennis,” Zendaya explained, “I knew nothing.”
“It’s not a game you can just pickup.” – Zendaya
The Euphoria and Spider-Man star continued, stating that the actors were given six-weeks of tennis training in preparation for their roles. “You’re supposed to be a great tennis player, and I had never been a great tennis player,” she said. Making the performance even more difficult was her eye sight. Since shooting the film the actress has had corrective LASIK eye-surgery. Her eyes are perfect now, she says, but at the time she had difficulty following the brightly colored tennis ball.
The film is unique in its style and story structure, requiring continuous rehearsal to ensure that it was perfectly assembled. “We rehearsed a lot,” Luca Guadagnino explained. The film’s climax is especially frenetic and pulse-pounding. It’s a one-of-kind moment unlike any sports scene we’ve seen put to film. According to the filmmaker the last ten-minutes of the film took eight-days to shoot.
Competing for the affection of Tashi are Art and Patrick, played by Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor. “We hate each other,” Mike quipped, joking about his self-proclaimed toxic bromance with Josh. Mike was surprised to land the role after feeling he had bumbled the screen-test. “I felt like it went atrociously wrong,” he said. Josh was nervous about taking on the role, stating that the character may be beyond his reach.
“Such an honor and a privilege to get to work with people like this.” – Josh O’Connor
The end result was a perfectly cast, superbly directed and beautifully shot film overflowing with melodrama. Challengers hits theaters this weekend.
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