Challengers is a 2024 American romantic sports comedy-drama film directed by Luca Guadagnino, starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist.
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- Challengers is a 2024 American romantic sports comedy-drama film directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes.
- The film stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist.
- Challengers premiered in Sydney, Australia on March 26, 2024.
- It is scheduled to be released in the United States by Amazon MGM Studios on April 26, 2024
- To prepare for her role, Zendaya spent three months with pro tennis player-turned-coach, Brad Gilbert.
- The film was completed in April 2023, a whole year before its release.
- Screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes is the husband of Celine Song, who wrote and directed Past Lives (2023).
- Luca Guadagnino’s second collaboration with composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross after Bones and All (2022).
- Luca Guadagnino visited Zendaya on the set of Dune: Part II (2024) in order to complete ADR for Challengers (2024).
- Originally scheduled to release on September 15, 2023, however it was delayed to April 26, 2024 due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
- Austin Abrams, Jacob Elordi, and Dominic Fike were considered for the role of Patrick before Josh O’Connor was cast.
- Luca Guadagnino’s first feature film to not be a co-production with Italy.
- Luca Guadagnino’s second film set and made in the United States.
- Nika King and Matthew Macfadyen were considered for undisclosed roles.
- Luca Guadagnino’s first comedy.
- Luca Guadagnino’s eighth narrative feature film and his tenth overall, including two documentaries.
- August 11, 2023 was the film’s initial release date.
- Luca Guadagnino third feature-length collaboration with Thai cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom.
- Costume designer J.W. Anderson is the founder of JW Anderson, as well as creative director for the Spanish luxury house LOEWE.
- Justin Kuritzkes’ first screenwriting credit.
- One of two movies starring Mike Faist that intended to release in the latter half of 2023, but was delayed to 2024 due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
- However, the other film The Bikeriders (2023) still screened at multiple film festivals in 2023 before its release date moved from December 1, 2023 to June 21, 2024.
- According to multiple festival directors, Challengers (2024) was the only film pulled from the 2023 fall festival circuit due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
- The film was originally supposed to open the 2023 Venice Film Festival, but it pulled its selection a month before the festival due to the actors’ strike.
- Comandante (2023) replaced Challengers as the opening night film.
- The film’s April 26, 2024 release date in the United States happens nine days after the 100th anniversary of the founding of the film’s studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, on April 17.
- Principal photography began on May 3, 2022, in Boston, where a casting call took place for local residents to audition to play tennis players, general extras, and stand-ins.
- In preparation for her role, Zendaya spent three months training with pro-tennis player-turned-coach Brad Gilbert. Gilbert was also a consultant on the film.
- Filming occurred in and around the Back Bay and East Boston neighborhoods.
- Jonathan Anderson, creative director of Spanish luxury brand Loewe, served as costume designer.
- A trailer was released on June 20, 2023.
- Zendaya revealed the film’s poster on her Instagram at the new year 2024 along with its release date.
- She called the film “Codependency: The Movie” and O’Connor compared it to the 2007 comedy Superbad.
- Although the film was initially set for a direct-to streaming release on Amazon Prime Video in France instead of a theatrical release, the decision was reversed in January 2024, meaning the film would start streaming on the service 17 months after its initial theatrical release.
- While it was rumored the film would be released on April 24, 2024, two days before its release in the United States, a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery denied this, stating the film had not been dated for a French theatrical release yet.
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