‘Challengers’: Zendaya Joined By Josh O’Connor And Mike Faist In Luca Guadagnino’s Tennis Drama

Zendaya might be the hottest actress in the world right now. She’s on an incredible streak, coming off the success of Dune, the record-breaking Spider-Man: No Way Home, and her Emmy wins for Euphoria. Any project she’s in is going to be a big deal, and Variety reports Zendaya has agreed to star in Luca Guadagnino’s tennis-themed romance movie Challengers.

Recently joining Zendaya in the film are The Crown Emmy winner Josh O’Connor and West Side Story breakout Mike Faist. The story takes place in the pro tennis world, in which”player-turned-coach Tashi (Zendaya) has transformed her husband Art (Faist) into a Grand Slam champion. After a losing streak, Tashi enters him into a “Challenger” event — the lowest pro tournament level — where he must face off against Patrick (O’Connor), Tashi’s former boyfriend and his former best friend.”

Guadagnino is wrapping up his latest film, Bones & All, starring Zendaya’s Dune co-star Timothee Chalamet. Later he has an Audrey Hepburn biopic led by Rooney Mara.

Travis Hopson
Travis Hopson has been reviewing movies before he even knew there was such a thing. Having grown up on a combination of bad '80s movies, pro wrestling, comic books, and hip-hop, Travis is uniquely positioned to geek out on just about everything under the sun. A vampire who walks during the day and refuses to sleep, Travis is the co-creator and lead writer for Punch Drunk Critics. He is also a contributor to Good Morning Washington, WBAL Morning News, and WETA Around Town. In the five minutes a day he's not working, Travis is also a voice actor, podcaster, and Twitch gamer. Travis is a voting member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), and Late Night programmer for the Lakefront Film Festival.