Kuritzkes' screenplay was acquired by MGM in February 2022, with the main cast and Guadagnino being hired shortly after; Zendaya, O'Connor, and Faist trained for months with former tennis player and coach Brad Gilbert to prepare for their roles. Principal photography ran from May to June 2022, primarily in Boston. Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, who previously worked with Guadagnino on Call Me by Your Name (2017) and Suspiria (2018), served as cinematographer.
Delayed from an initial September 2023 release in response to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, Challengers premiered in Sydney on March 26, 2024, and was theatrically released in the United States by Amazon MGM Studios one month later. The film grossed $96 million worldwide and received highly positive reviews from critics, in addition to four nominations at the forthcoming 82nd Golden Globe Awards (including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy).
Plot
The film is presented in a nonlinear narrative. The following is a linear summary of the plot.
In 2006, friends Patrick Zweig and Art Donaldson win the boys' junior doubles title at the US Open. They watch a match played by Tashi Duncan, a rising tennis star, with whom Patrick and Art become infatuated. After meeting at a party, Tashi joins Art and Patrick in their hotel room, where all three kiss before Tashi abruptly ends the tryst. She promises to give her phone number to whoever wins the final the next day. Patrick wins the match, and later signals to Art that he had sex with Tashi by placing the ball in the neck of his racket prior to serving, a tic of Art's.
In 2007, Tashi and Art play college tennis at Stanford University, while Patrick turns professional and begins a long-distance relationship with Tashi. Art suggests to Tashi that Patrick does not love her. When Patrick visits Stanford, Art similarly suggests to him that Tashi does not take the relationship seriously. Tashi and Patrick have an argument over her attempts to coach Patrick in tennis, and Patrick skips her match as a result; while playing, Tashi tears her ACL. Patrick comes to see Tashi, but Tashi angrily demands he leave. Art sides with her, ending his friendship with Patrick. Art aids in Tashi's recovery, but her injury ends her tennis career.
In 2009, Tashi reconnects with Art, becoming his coach and girlfriend. In 2011, Tashi and Art are now engaged, and Art's career is on the rise. Tashi and Patrick run into each other at the Atlanta Open and have a one-night stand, which Art notices.
In 2019, Tashi and Art are a wealthy power couple with a young daughter. Art is only one US Open title away from a Career Grand Slam, but has been struggling due to injury and age. Tashi enters Art as a wild card in a Challenger event in New Rochelle, New York, hoping to boost his confidence and return him to form. Patrick, who is living out of his car and scraping by on winnings from the lower circuits, happens to enter the New Rochelle Challenger as well.
Sensing Art's disillusionment, Patrick asks Tashi to coach him to a last winning season. She refuses, but keeps the slip of paper with his phone number on it. Starting at opposite ends of the seeding, Art and Patrick advance through the brackets until they find themselves facing each other in the final. The day before the final match, Patrick attempts to reconnect with Art, but Art rebuffs him.
The evening before the final, Art tells Tashi he plans to retire at the end of the season whether he wins the Open or not. Tashi is unhappy, but reluctantly accepts Art's decision. That night, Tashi secretly meets with Patrick to ask him to throw the match to Art, claiming it is to boost his confidence and to save their marriage. Patrick is disgusted but then agrees, and he and Tashi have a passionate argument before having sex inside his car.
The day of the final, Tashi watches as Art and Patrick play. Patrick wins the first set, and Art the second. Although the match remains close, Art reaches a match point. Patrick signals that he has slept with Tashi using Art's serve tic, which Tashi cannot decode. Stunned, Art allows Patrick to score to bring the match to a final tie break.
During the tie break, Art and Patrick furiously trade groundstrokes, but begin smiling as they continue. The rally intensifies and Art jumps for a volley at the net. As Art lunges for a final shot he collides with Patrick over the net and the two embrace. Tashi leaps from her seat and cheers the players on.
Cast
The cast of Challengers in 2024 from left to right: Mike Faist, Zendaya, Josh O'Connor.
Writer Justin Kuritzkes was inspired to make a tennis film after watching the 2018 U.S. Open match between Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka, in which Williams was penalized for receiving coaching from the sidelines. He had never heard of the rule and thought the fact that the player could not talk with such an important figure during the match seemed cinematic. He observed, "What if you really had to talk about something important that went beyond tennis? Something going on with you personally?" While doing research for the script, he read Andre Agassi's memoir Open, in which Agassi recounts how his then-coach Brad Gilbert entered him into a Challenger event in Nevada. This served as inspiration for Art's arc in the film.[8]
Kuritzkes also knew what the characters' origins were while writing: "Tashi was always a Black woman. Patrick was always a very well-to-do Jewish guy, and Art was always a somewhat well-to-do WASP." He thought that a story about tennis with no Black characters would be weird because "that is the story of American women's tennis, if you look at all of the big superstars from the past decade".[9] The script landed on The Black List, an annual list of the best unproduced scripts in Hollywood, in December 2021.[10] That same year, producing partners Amy Pascal and Rachel O'Connor read the script. Pascal had been wanting to work with director Luca Guadagnino for a long time, and sent him the script while he was filming the short film O Night Divine starring John C. Reilly. Guadagnino recalled, "I had the script on set, hiding myself from John C., not showing him that I was reading while I was directing. Anyway, I found it amazing."[9] In a 2022 interview with Collider, Guadagnino cited Kuritzkes' screenplay, Pascal, and Zendaya as inspirations for making the film.[11] At the behest of Guadagnino, Kuritzkes modified the script to add a scene where Patrick and Art end up kissing each other: "Luca felt it was very important that, in any love triangle, all the corners touch, and I quickly realized he meant it literally."[9]
In early 2022, MGM's then-chairman Kevin Ulrich met with Guadagnino to discuss distributing the independently financed Bones and All. During the meeting, Guadagnino told Ulrich he was also in the midst of developing a "sexy tennis story starring Zendaya". Ulrich contacted Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, the then-heads of MGM, and they negotiated a two-picture deal over the next 24 hours to pick up both films. When Amazon completed its acquisition of MGM, it latter inherited the films, and Zendaya gained a $10 million paycheck as both star and producer.[9] In February 2022, the film was announced with Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, and Mike Faist set to star.[12]
Casting
Pascal's first choice to play Tashi was Zendaya, whom she knew from working on several Spider-Man films with, and passed her the script. Zendaya accepted the role, as it would be a departure from the teenagers she was used to portraying, and she felt it was the right time to move into more adult roles: "It was nice to play a character that was not a child anymore. It was also interesting playing parts of my life that I haven't experienced yet: I've not gotten married. I've not had a child. Those milestones, I don't necessarily have a direct reference point for."[9]
Guadagnino suggested Josh O'Connor should play the cocky Patrick. For the role of Art, Guadagnino considered West Side Story star Mike Faist, whose agent insisted he read the script; Faist then agreed to travel to London for a screen test with Zendaya. He later said, "I thought, 'Why not? If I don't get the job, I got a trip out of it." He thought that the audition had gone badly, but Guadagnino loved his interpretation of the character. Faist said that Guadagnino's main preoccupations were that he was blond and that his body should be hairless. Faist was put off by the idea of shaving his body, but Guadagnino felt that he needed to be "aerodynamic" as an athlete.[9]
Zendaya's best friend and personal assistant Darnell Appling portrayed the umpire at the New Rochelle Final. Guadagnino wanted him to sit on the umpire chair during a camera test; he thought he would just be acting as a stand-in, as he had done previously in other Zendaya projects. Guadagnino instead asked him to play the part, which he accepted with Zendaya's blessing. To prepare for the role, Guadagnino asked Appling to attend umpire school. Appling spent three weeks filming his role.[6][13]
Filming
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.[14] In preparation for their roles, Zendaya, Faist, and O'Connor spent three months training with pro-tennis player-turned-coach Brad Gilbert.[15][9] Faist had to gain 30 pounds for the film. Gilbert, who was also a consultant on the film, said: "Mike had to eat between 8,000 to 10,000 calories a day because they wanted him to gain weight. He was super thin. He had to work on his tennis and gain like 30 pounds. I had Zendaya in Los Angeles, so we got her on a program right away, and Josh was working, so [Faist] had the latest start." During training, the actors started at 6a.m., were at the tennis center until noon, and then would act in the afternoon.[16] Filming occurred in and around the Back Bay and East Boston neighborhoods.[17]Sayombhu Mukdeeprom served as cinematographer.[18] Irish fashion designer Jonathan Anderson, currently serving as creative director of Spanish luxury brand Loewe, worked as the film's costume designer.[19] Filming wrapped on June 26, 2022.[20]
Post-production
Guadagnino visited Zendaya on the set of Dune: Part Two in order to complete ADR for Challengers.[21]Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross composed the film's score, having previously worked with Guadagnino on 2022's Bones and All.[22] Guadagnino approached them to score Challengers by sending them an email that read, "Do you want to be on my next film? It's going to be super sexy."[23]Post-production was completed by April 2023.[24]
The film was previously set to be released on September 15, 2023,[26] and before that August 11, 2023.[27] The film was also scheduled to have its world premiere as the opening film of the 80th Venice International Film Festival,[28] but was delayed and pulled out from the festival by Amazon MGM Studios due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike at the time.[29]
Challengers premiered in Sydney, Australia on March 26, 2024, followed by premieres in Paris, London and at the Westwood Village Theater in Los Angeles, the latter of which had tennis player Venus Williams in attendance.[30]
Warner Bros. Pictures serves as the film's international distributor.[35] 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. The film was released there on April 24, 2024, 2 days before its release in the United States, although a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery initially denied this, stating the film had not been dated for a French theatrical release yet.[36][37][4]
Home media
The film was made available on VOD on May 17, 2024.[38] It was released on Blu-ray and DVD on July 9, 2024.[39]
Reception
Box office
Challengers grossed $50.1 million in the United States and Canada, and $45.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $96 million.[4][3]
In the United States and Canada, Challengers was released alongside Boy Kills World and Unsung Hero, and was projected to gross $12–15 million from 3,477 theaters in its opening weekend.[40][2] The film made $6.2 million on its first day, including $1.9 million in Thursday night previews.[41] It went on to debut to $15 million, topping the box office and marking the best domestic opening weekend of Guadagnino's career.[42] In its second weekend the film made $7.9 million (a drop of 49%), finishing second behind newcomer The Fall Guy and the re-release of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.[43] It then made $4.4 million in its third weekend.[44]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 364 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8/10.The website's consensus reads: "With its trio of outstanding performers volleying their star power back and forth without ever dropping the ball, Challengers is a kinetic and sexy romp at court."[45]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 82 out of 100, based on 64 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[46] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled by PostTrak gave it a 77% overall positive score, with 59% saying they would definitely recommend it.[42]
NPR included Challengers in its list of the best movies and TV of 2024, with critic Linda Holmes writing that "A pounding score, adventurous editing and one of the smartest weird endings in recent memory completes a movie not quite like any other."[47]
Marianne Raigipcien Jean-Baptiste is an English actress. She is known for her role in Mike Leigh's drama film Secrets & Lies (1996), for which she received acclaim and earned nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Golden Globe and BAFTA Award in the same category. Jean-Baptiste is also known for her role as Vivian Johnson on the television series Without a Trace from 2002 to 2009, and has starred in television shows such as Blindspot (2015–2016) and Homecoming (2018). She has since gained praise for starring in Leigh's drama film Hard Truths (2024).
Jacqueline Durran is a British costume designer. In a career spanning over two decades, she is recognized for her prolific work across independent films and blockbusters. She has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, a British Academy Television Award, and two Costume Designers Guild Awards.
Austin Robert Butler is an American actor. Butler began his career on television, first in roles on Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, most notably on Zoey 101 (2007–2008), and later on teen dramas, including recurring parts on The CW's Life Unexpected (2010–2011) and Switched at Birth (2011–2012). He gained recognition for starring in The Carrie Diaries (2013–2014) and The Shannara Chronicles (2016–2017). Butler made his Broadway debut in the 2018 revival of The Iceman Cometh and portrayed Tex Watson in Quentin Tarantino's film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).
Arianne Phillips is an American costume designer. Phillips was recognized for her work on the Broadway musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch, starring Neil Patrick Harris, earning her a Tony award nomination for Best Costume Design. Phillips has a long-standing relationship with Madonna, with collaborations including photos shoots, music videos and designing tour costumes for six world tours over the past two decades. She has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design three times, for James Mangold's Walk the Line (2005), Madonna's directorial debut, W.E. (2011), and for Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). Phillips has also received a two BAFTA Award nominations for Tom Ford’s A Single Man (2009) and Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Luca Guadagnino is an Italian film director and producer. His films are characterized by their emotional complexity, eroticism, and lavish visuals. Guadagnino has received numerous accolades, including a Silver Lion, alongside nominations for an Academy Award and three BAFTA Awards.
Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman is an American actress and singer. Her accolades include two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. In 2022, Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Mia Gypsy Mello da Silva Goth is an English actress. After modelling as a teenager, Goth made her acting debut in the erotic art film Nymphomaniac (2013). She earned recognition with the films The Survivalist (2015), High Life (2018), Suspiria (2018), and Emma (2020). She achieved a career breakthrough for playing Maxine Minx and Pearl in the X film series (2022–2024).
Michael David Faist is an American actor. He is the recipient of a Grammy and a Daytime Emmy Award, with nominations for a Tony and a British Academy Film Award.
Joshua O'Connor is a British actor. After training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, he had supporting roles in television series such as Doctor Who in 2013 and Peaky Blinders in 2014. He had his breakthrough playing the lead role of a closeted sheep farmer in Francis Lee's romantic drama God's Own Country (2017), for which he won a British Independent Film Award.
Alana Mychal Haim is an American musician and actress. She is a member of the pop rock band Haim, along with her two older sisters Este and Danielle, where she performs piano, guitar and vocals. In 2020, the band received a nomination for Grammy Award for Album of the Year for their third album, Women in Music Pt. III.
Bones and All is a 2022 romantic horror film directed by Luca Guadagnino from a screenplay by David Kajganich, based on the 2015 novel Bones & All by Camille DeAngelis. Set in the late 1980s, the film stars Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet as a pair of young cannibals who develop feelings for each other on a road trip across the United States. Michael Stuhlbarg, André Holland, Chloë Sevigny, David Gordon Green, Jessica Harper, Jake Horowitz, and Mark Rylance appear in supporting roles.
Justin Kuritzkes is an American playwright, novelist, and screenwriter best known for writing the scripts for two of Luca Guadagnino's films, Challengers and Queer. He has also been the subject of media coverage because of his activities on YouTube, such as the 2011 video "Potion Seller".
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed is a 2022 American biographical documentary film about photographer, artist, and activist Nan Goldin. The film is produced, co-edited and directed by Laura Poitras, and tackles Goldin's life through her advocacy during the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 80's, and her fight against the Sackler family for their role in the current opioid epidemic in the United States. Poitras, a long-time friend and fan, stated that "Nan's art and vision has inspired my work for years, and has influenced generations of filmmakers."
Queer is a 2024 period romantic drama film directed by Luca Guadagnino from a screenplay by Justin Kuritzkes, based on the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs. Set in 1950s Mexico City, the film follows an outcast American expatriate who becomes infatuated with a younger man. Jason Schwartzman, Henry Zaga, Omar Apollo, and Lesley Manville also star.
The following is a list of unproduced Luca Guadagnino projects in roughly chronological order.
Challengers (Original Score) is the soundtrack album composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for the 2024 film Challengers by Luca Guadagnino. It was digitally released by Milan Records on April 26, 2024, the same day as the film's theatrical release in the United States.
Frenesy Film Company S.r.l. an Italian film production company founded by Luca Guadagnino.
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