Starring Zendaya alongside Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor in an unprecedented role, Challengers has emerged as one of the most anticipated films of the year. Following the unconventional relationship between three tennis players and how it evolves, the movie has been a topic of discussion about Zendaya’s acting prowess and its concept.
And one of the scenes from the film that has been making the rounds since the first glimpse is the hotel room scene. However, screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes has revealed that the scene was not in the initial draft and was added based on an idea from director Luca Guadagnino, ultimately becoming one of the movie’s most notable moments.
Luca Guadagnino’s Vision Inspired Challengers‘ Hotel Room Scene
Challengers screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes recently opened up about working with the filmmaker Luca Guadagnino and how his vision for the film led to the addition of one of the most famous scenes in the movie.
In a conversation with SlashFilm, he recalled a discussion with the filmmaker, where he suggested, “In a love triangle, all the corners should touch.”
Kuritzkes shared that he took it as a metaphoric statement about how these characters’ lives and desires are interconnected. However, he soon realized that Guadagnino literally meant what he said.
“I heard that, and I thought, ‘Yeah, all these people’s lives are so deeply intwined, and there’s all this desire flowing between all three of them. They’re touching.’ And it quickly became clear that Luca meant, ‘No, no, literally. They literally should all touch.'”
He shared that he was “thrilled” by Guadagnino’s concept idea. And it resulted in one of the groundbreaking moments in the film where Tashi visits her fellow players Art and Patrick in their hotel room, initiating a three-way make-out session that culminates in a passionate kiss between Art and Patrick.
Luca Guadagnino Discussed the Crucial Scene in Challengers
Filmmaker Luca Guadagnino also shared in a recent interview that the hotel room scene was not initially in the script. In an interview with The New York Times, he shared that the moment is crucial as it adds depth and complexity to the characters and their relationships.
He suggested that Tashi’s motives extend beyond mere eroticism, indicating a desire for personal growth and exploration of boundaries. “For many ways, it’s of her own amusement, which is not just erotic amusement but pushing them to be a better person in general,” he said.
The Suspiria director also discussed the competitive erotic energy between Art and Patrick.
“Going back to the canon of the Hollywood golden-age comedy, you can track subtexts in these great films: With Billy Wilder, “Some Like It Hot,” there is this fun with queerness. We discussed a lot about how we could flesh out the basic point that the triangle is not just two people after one, but the corners touch together all the time.”
He emphasized that the triangular dynamic isn’t just about jealousy over one person, but also about the tension and competition between the individuals involved, where each person feels the pressure of not being chosen by one and potentially losing the other.
Challengers is playing in theatres.
