A trailer has given fans a first look at the love triangle movie.
Luca Guadagnino is back with Challengers, which is set to release in cinemas in September.
The film boasts a star-studded cast, and features Zendaya as professional tennis player Tashi Duncan, while West Side Story‘s Mike Faist plays her husband, Art, a champion on a losing streak.
Tashi’s plan for Art’s comeback takes an unexpected turn when he must play against Patrick (The Crown’s Josh O’Connor) – his former best friend and her former boyfriend – in the Challengers tennis tournament, which soon reignites old rivalries and tensions.
The movie is being billed as a romantic sports comedy film, with Guadagnino telling IndieWire that it would be his “first comedy” and calling it “a fairly fizzy, sexy movie about the world of tennis”.
But is it based on a true story? Read on for everything you need to know.
Is Challengers based on a true story?
!["Josh]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/06/Challengers-trailer-47c81f2.png?quality=90&resize=619%2C413" "\"Challengers")
No, it is thought to be entirely fictional, though Guadagnino promised Distractify that the story is “beautifully complex”.
Challengers might not be based on a true story, but it sounds like Zendaya is going to impress us with her tennis skills.
Zendaya reportedly trained for three months with former tennis pro Brad Gilbert, who also served as a consultant on the film, before taking on the role, according to Variety.
“We edited the movie and we almost actually don’t use any of her double. She’s so good,” Guadagnino told the publication of Zendaya.
Who stars in Challengers?
Euphoria and Spider-Man star Zendaya leads the cast of Challengers as Tashi Duncan.
Meanwhile, West Side Story’s Mike Faist plays her husband, Art, and The Crown‘s Josh O’Connor stars as Patrick – Art’s former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend.
The full cast list is as follows:
- Zendaya as Tashi
- Josh O’Connor as Patrick
- Mike Faist as Art
- Jake Jensen as Finn Larsen
- Faith Fay as Spectator
- AJ Lister as Lily
- Scottie DiGiacomo as US Open Umpire
Challengers will arrive in cinemas on 15th September, 2023. Read more of our Film coverage, or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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