Challengers (2024)

[Jake Lipson]

Title: Challengers (2024)

Tagline: The art of seduction and other games.

Genre: Drama, Romance, Sports

Director: Luca Guadagnino

Cast: Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, Mike Faist, A.J. Lister, Jake Jensen

Release: 2024-04-25

Plot: Tennis player turned coach Tashi has taken her husband, Art, and transformed him into a world-famous grand slam champion. To jolt him out of his recent losing streak, she makes him play a “Challenger” event — close to the lowest level of pro tournament — where he finds himself standing across the net from his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I'm surprised we didn't already have a thread for this movie. Challengers had been scheduled for September 15 before the SAG-AFTRA strike began. Now, MGM (so really, Amazon) decided to move it all the way back to April 2024 because the cast won't promote it during the strike.

This interview with Zendaya was conducted before the strike and was clearly timed to promote the film's original release date. It's a good read.

www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a44763838/zendaya-interview-september-2023/

I was looking forward to seeing Challengers in September. Obviously, I'll wait. But the solution to the strike is obviously to make a deal with the union. Delaying movies so press can be done later, rather than actually negotiating to get the strike resolved, just feels like a cop-out on the part of the studios.

 

[Jake Lipson]

New trailer:



I suspect this will play in front of Dune Part Two. Smart move.

 

[Jake Lipson]

‘Challengers’ Premiere: Zendaya Calls Luca Guadagnino “Brilliant” & Josh O’Connor Says Working With Director Was “A Real Treat & An Honor”

Zendaya not only stars in Luca Guadagnino's Challengers but is also a producer in the film written by Justin Kuritzkes.

deadline.com

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I think Zendaya might be the only true movie star of her generation.

 

[benbess]

Saw this today with AMC A-list. It certainly had a lot of drama, and lots and lots of sweaty people playing tennis for long periods of time. The stars are all good, but wasn't really my cup of tea. The director did one of those let's jump back and forth in time for the whole movie structures, and although that more or less worked, it was also a bit annoying. My rating: B-

 

[Jake Lipson]

The director did one of those let's jump back and forth in time for the whole movie structures

In this case, the director (Luca Guadagnino) and writer (Justin Kuritzkes) are different people. When we talk about Christopher Nolan, for example, repeatedly liking to use nonlinear narratives, he is usually writing or co-writing the films he directs. Kuritzkes wrote Challengers before Guadagnino decided to direct it. So I'm not sure whose decision it was to structure it that way. Although of course the director has input, Guadagnino is not a writer on this film. Kuritzkes may have written the script like that. I don't know.

I also didn't know they were having sneaks of this tonight. I'll see it this weekend.

On another note, Zendaya was on Jimmy Kimmel to promote:

I think Zendaya might be the only true movie star of her generation.

This film is going to be a very interesting test of her drawing power. Although she Is wonderful in both, Spider-Man and Dune are preexisting IP with built-in fanbases regardless of Zendaya. If she hadn't played MJ or Chain, someone else would have. I don't know if Challengers would have been made without her. This is going to be the first time where the whole movie is on her shoulders and she is the primary draw to get people out to theaters.

I'm looking forward to it.

 

[TravisR]

I think Zendaya might be the only true movie star of her generation.

She's a good actor but for me, she's another example of an actor who is famous rather than a movie star. I think her fans are way more interested in her Instagram than Challengers or any other non-franchise movie she does. A movie star would get asses in the seats and while a Luca Guadagnino tennis movie would probably be a tough sell for almost anyone, I don't think that Zendaya being in this movie will draw that many people in.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I don't think that Zendaya being in this movie will draw that many people in.

We'll see if you're right this weekend. MGM/Amazon certainly hope you are wrong. There is no question that it is being sold to audiences based on Zendaya's presence in a much bigger way than any of her previous films have been.

 

[TravisR]

We'll see if you're right this weekend. MGM/Amazon certainly hope you are wrong. There is no question that it is being sold to audiences based on Zendaya's presence in a much bigger way than any of her previous films have been.

I'd love to be wrong and see a young person be a legit star that gets people to go to a movie theater (especially to see a smaller movie). Also, a younger movie star would likely draw a younger audience which would help keep the industry healthy.

 

[Tino]

I think Zendaya might be the only true movie star of her generation.

I personally don’t get the appeal. She’s a competent actress but nothing special imo.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I don't like tennis. No shade to anyone who does. It's not my thing. However, I'm going to see Challengers because I think the movie looks good. The trailer piqued my interest. And, yes, I will be going at least in part because Zendaya is in it and I like her previous work. She's done her job as far as getting me interested. She isn't the only person involved whose work is interesting to me, but she is part of the appeal.

The excellent reviews help. Guadagnino's reputation is part of it too. I also loved Mike Faist in West Side Story. As an unexpected bonus, Justin Kuritzkes was just hired to adapt City On Fire, which is one of my favorite books of the last couple years. So I'm extra curious and excited to see something that he wrote. (I was planning to see this before he got the City On Fire job, though.) So all of those things are reasons for me to see this.

However, I definitely think Zendaya is likely to be the biggest draw for most people.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Kinda sad that the marketing of the movie is reduced to teasing a BBG scene with Zendaya being the G.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Why is that sad? The plot appears to involve a triangle between the three characters. It makes sense to have that be in the marketing.

Zendaya is both an actor and a producer on this film. If that wasn't something she wanted to do, she wouldn't have done it. Further, unless the trailer is seriously misleading, it seems like her character is very much in charge of that moment.

 

[Jake Lipson]

‘Challengers’ Heats Up: How Zendaya’s Star Power and a Sexy Love Triangle Could Give Gen Z Its Next Movie Obsession

Zendaya and her "Challengers" co-stars Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist tell all on making the sexiest love triangle movie in years.

variety.com

 

[Tino]

Tracking for a $15 million opening.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Kind of a odd duck of a film. What I didn't expect was that it felt like it had more slo-mo than most Zack Snyder movies.

I was left wondering if I liked any of the 3 main principal characters...

 

[Joe Wong]

Haven't seen the film, but I read an article on Justin Kuritzkes the other day.

What I found interesting is that he is the husband of Celine Song, who wrote and directed Past Lives, another movie about a love "triangle".

Just a bit of coincidental trivia...

 

[Jake Lipson]

What I found interesting is that he is the husband of Celine Song, who wrote and directed Past Lives, another movie about a love "triangle".

Celine Song based Past Lives on her own experience. That makes Kuritzkes the real-life equivalent of John Margo's character, Arthur. The Challengers triangle seems to be a lot different than what was presented in Past Lives.

In other news, Gruv is taking pre-orders for a Blu-ray release of Challengers. This confirms that this is another MGM/Amazon title that will get a physical media release from SDS. There is no release date, but it's good to have that confirmed. They are not listing a 4K release. It is interesting that they are taking pre-orders for it before Amazon is on a movie that Amazon owns.

Challengers [Blu-ray]

Buy Challengers on Blu-ray. Browse our full range of Blu-ray titles. FREE shipping on all orders. 20% off your first order.

www.gruv.com

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

She's a good actor but for me, she's another example of an actor who is famous rather than a movie star. I think her fans are way more interested in her Instagram than Challengers or any other non-franchise movie she does. A movie star would get asses in the seats and while a Luca Guadagnino tennis movie would probably be a tough sell for almost anyone, I don't think that Zendaya being in this movie will draw that many people in.

Box office returns are crucial for staying power as a movie star, but not the only indicator. I don't think Amazon/MGM would have ponied up a $55 million budget for a small character drama like this without Zendaya attached to star.