A new Zendaya trailer (and the anticipation of the accompanying press tour ... even if it’s delayed) is already catnip for those of us who can’t resist marveling at the former Disney star’s tremendous rise. But tack on the fact that it’s for a film by Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino and, well, you’ve got about as a good a recipe for a guaranteed hit as you can come across in today’s twisted Hollywood landscape. Here’s what we know so far about Challengers.
What is Challengers about?
Challengers stars the Euphoria and Spider-Man actress as the fictional tennis wunderkind Tashi Duncan. Caught in the orbit of her fame and allure are Art (West Side Story’s Mike Faist) and Patrick (The Crown’s Josh O’Connor), one of whom becomes her boyfriend and the other her eventual husband. But time and resentment separates the trio after Tashi suffers a career-ending injury and chooses to become a tennis coach. When Art and Patrick reunite for a match years later, some truly steamy competition ensues, fueling what is sure to be one of the most talked-about films of late summer.
Is there a trailer?
Yes, and it’s very good. Watch below.
When does Challengers come out?
Initially, Amazon MGM Studios was set to distribute Challengers only in theaters starting September 15, 2023. But after the SAG-AFTRA strike began in July 2023, the studio opted to push the debut to April 26, 2024, skipping its previously scheduled Venice Film Festival debut. The reasoning is simple: Challengers needs the marketing heft of its stars—Zendaya, in particular—and during the actors’ strike they’re unable to promote the film. If the strike ends, as expected, before next spring, they’ll be able to lend their powerful social media platforms to the Challengers cause.
Will Challengers be available on a streaming service?
Given the Amazon MGM Studios of it all—and the fact that Challengers will forego a theatrical release in France, instead opting to debut on Prime Video in the country, per Variety—it’s all but guaranteed Challengers will (eventually) arrive on Prime Video in the U.S. after its theatrical run is complete. The only question, of course, is how long we’ll have to wait.
This story will be updated.
Lauren Puckett-Pope is a staff culture writer at ELLE, where she primarily covers film, television and books. She was previously an associate editor at ELLE.
