Scrumptious, delusional, and downright horrific—that’s how Zendaya and Josh O’Connor are describing their characters in Challengers, an attractive tennis drama from Luca Guadagnino that has been pushed from the Venice Movie Pageant to a brand new date subsequent spring amid the actors’ and writers’ strikes.
Previous to the industry-wide pause, Zendaya interviewed O’Connor for VMan Journal. Within the piece, the pair dance across the particulars of Guadagnino’s “scrumptious script.” Earlier than individuals label the movie, O’Connor says, they need to know that “it’s not only a tennis film or a film a few love triangle, it’s psychological, it’s emotional, it’s grief, it’s every thing.” Provides Zendaya, “It’s tremendous intense. I’d agree.”
Elsewhere of their dialog, Zendaya assures O’Connor, who based mostly his character on the “fiery mood” of tennis professional Nick Kyrgios, “I don’t suppose you’re something like Patrick.” That’s a aid, contemplating that their characters are “horrible,” in line with the Emmy winner. “However that’s what was so enjoyable, proper? I hate to say villain, however there’s a villain-esque high quality there to all the characters.”
That villainy extends to the character of Artwork, the ultimate participant in Challengers’ love triangle performed by Mike Faist. “Artwork has his personal darkness and he’s positively a puppet grasp,” O’Connor says. “We’re all of the puppet grasp at totally different moments.” Zendaya agrees, teasing that viewers allegiance could shift upon repeat viewings. “Yeah, I’ve simply loved the conversations after the very fact—Crew Tash, Crew Artwork, Crew Pat. Who’s the dangerous man? Who’s the great man? And it adjustments each time,” she mentioned.
If that isn’t sufficient to whet one’s urge for food, maybe O’Connor evaluating the movie to the 2007 teen comedy Superbad will. “I’m not saying that Challengers is like Superbad in any means, however I feel Challengers has the potential,” O’Connor begins. “And that is what my good friend was articulating. It may be a type of movies which you could simply hold watching as a result of it’s such a thrill. It’s like a drug. The joy simply drives you proper by way of to the movie and it doesn’t really feel lengthy, you don’t labor by way of it.”
Zendaya even has her personal tagline for the movie. “I typically name this film, ‘Codependency: The Film,’” she says, including, “I like seeing peoples’ tackle the characters after they’ve solely seen the trailer. It’s like, simply wait, you haven’t any thought.”
Challengers debuts in theaters on April 26, 2024.
