Zendaya’s gearing up for one of her biggest years yet. The second trailer for “Challengers” has hit the internet, giving viewers another glimpse into her next project from filmmaker Luca Guadagnino.
Zendaya stars as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach in a drama from screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes. Duncan is “a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court,” per the film’s official synopsis. “Married to a champion on a losing streak (Mike Faist), Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (Josh O’Connor) – his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend.”
“You think that tennis is about expressing yourself, doing your thing,” she says cryptically at the top of the trailer. “You don’t know what tennis is.” Set to the Nelly Furtado hit “Maneater,” the clip teases the tension between the three leads, highlighting a propulsive love triangle amid the high-stakes world of professional tennis.
As theGrio previously reported, “Challengers” was set to premiere last year at the Venice International Film Festival, but was moved to 2024 due to the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild strikes.
“After thoughtful consideration with our partners, and given the parameters that SAG-AFTRA has outlined for its membership, we have made the difficult decision to withdraw ‘Challengers’ from this year’s Venice International Film Festival,” MGM shared in a statement at the time. “We look forward to celebrating the film when we can do so with our ensemble cast, director Luca Guadagnino and the filmmaking team at a later date.”
“Challengers” premieres April 26 in theaters.
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