After impressing audiences and critics with her performance in Dune 2, Zendaya is back with her next film Challengers which is set to release in North America on 26th April, 2024. The story follows a former tennis player and coach who attempts to turn her husband into a champion, but comes face-to-face with her ex-boyfriend who is his competitor in a tournament.
The film which premiered in Los Angeles, is already receiving rave reviews from critics for Zendaya’s performance and her sizzling chemistry with her two co-stars. But the actor probably received the highest praise of all from a prominent figure who has been closely associated with her since her acting days as a teenager.
Zendaya Gets Heartwarming Applause From Beyoncé’s Mother For Challengers
Following her powerful turn as Chani in Dune 2, Zendaya is now making waves with her next film Challengers which is set to release on April 26th, 2024. This steamy sports drama with a s*xy romantic triangle also starring Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, is already looking like a box-office winner judging by the initial reactions.
Director Luca Guadagnino’s depiction of complex characters and their complicated relationship with each other has been lauded by critics who have also praised Zendaya’s immersive performance in the film. The drama received an excellent 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes which is an extremely positive sign ahead of its release.
Critical acclaim aside, The Greatest Showman star received one of the best compliments from one of her biggest supporters, Tina Knowles, who is the mother of mega pop star Beyoncé. Having closely known and followed Zendaya’s career, Knowles spoke to Variety during the premier of the film and heaped praise on the talented star while comparing her to her famous daughter.
“I love Zendaya! The first time I saw her, I used to watch her in the Disney series with my grandson [Solange’s son, Juelz Smith] and she just reeked of stardom. She is just the most gracious, beautiful girl, and she reminds me of my daughter—she’s a Virgo like my daughter Beyoncé!”
To go down memory lane, Zendaya made a small appearance in 2016 in the video of Beyoncé’s hit song Lemonade which was part of the album of the same name. Zendaya had also previously revealed to Seventeen about how starstruck she was to have met the Grammy winner, and expressed her admiration for the icon’s humility.
Zendaya’s Character Arc In Dune 2 Was Changed For This Reason By Denis Villeneuve
Zendaya’s Chani who was more of a background presence in Dune, became one of the pivotal characters in Denis Villeneuve’s blockbuster sequel. While her relationship to the central protagonist Paul Atreides is the glue that holds the narrative together, Villeneuve took the creative liberty of changing up her arc in the second film.
In Frank Herbert’s Dune, Chani is seen as someone who expresses her undying loyalty to Paul Atreides and even accepts him as the Lisan-Al-Gaib. But this is not the case in Dune 2 where she is one of the few characters who refuses to believe this fact, and is extremely suspicious and sceptical about Atreides’ legacy.
The Sicario filmmaker explained why he needed to make this change and revealed that it was actually Herbert’s own thoughts that inspired him to tweak the script in this manner. In an interview with Screen Rant Plus, Villeneuve elaborated further on the author’s opinions and said,
”When the book came out, he was disappointed about how people perceived Paul Atreides. People were talking about him as a hero, but for him, he was an anti-hero. He was a dark figure. So he wrote Dune Messiah for people to understand the intention. So I wrote part two having that in mind. That is why Chani’s character is slightly different in my adaptation than in the book. It helped me bring the initial intention of Frank Herbert to the screen.”
The ending of Dune 2 which sees an enraged Chani moving away from Paul Atreides, is the perfect segue into the next narrative which is expected to see a lot of threads being tied up with regard to their relationship.
