With the embargo having lifted on next week’s Dune: Part Two, it’s no shock that MGM has dropped a new trailer for Challengers. The only real connection between the two vastly different films is Zendaya, who is poised to become an even bigger star when the sci-fi sequel hits theaters. But with Challengers she’s starring in a tennis comedy that also doubles as a sex comedy, from Luca Guadagnino of all people.
And what’s being served up? A throuple, that’s what. Zendaya’s character finds herself in the middle of the romantic triad with co-stars Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist. The film, penned by Justin Kuritzkes, centers on a former tennis pro-turned-manager to her Grand Slam champion husband who she has entered into a tournament event against her former lover.
You could say this scans as a change-of-pace for Guadagnino, but that would suggest he has a specific genre he sticks to. The filmmaker has done pretty much everything, from arthouse dramas (I Am Love, Call Me By Your Name) to horror (Suspiria) to romantic thrillers (Bones & All). There’s every reason to believe he can make something like Challengers work.
Here’s the synopsis: From visionary filmmaker, Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion on a losing streak (Mike Faist – West Side Story), Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (Josh O’Connor – The Crown) – his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend. As their pasts and presents collide, and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself, what will it cost to win.
Challengers opens in theaters on April 26th.
