It seems like there's no shortage of chemistry in Luca Guadagnino's sizzling tennis drama Challengers (which you can see a sneak peek of above, courtesy of our exclusive image).
The movie charts the relationship between tennis players Art (Mike Faist) and Patrick (Josh O'Connor), whose close friendship dances around the edges of attraction and informs their battle on the courts and in Tashi (Zendaya)’s affections. That frisson, which can’t be manufactured, was found in a pre-shoot rehearsal period in Boston in the spring of 2022, where the threesome honed their forehand and foreplay.
"We kind of went to summer camp," Zendaya tells the new issue of Total Film magazine, which is out on newsstands on Thursday, August 17, in an interview conducted before the actors' strike. "It was an acting/tennis summer camp. You wake up really early. Everybody’s like, 'OK, let’s stretch together.' We stretch, we play PE games…" O'Connor interjects: "Eat eggs, eat chicken and broccoli…"
"Broccoli! And work out, and play tennis, rehearse all day," Zendaya continues. "It was a dream in that respect, you get paid to do what you would want to do anyway."
"That’s kind of what we do as actors," Faist nods. "You just kind of learn new skills with everything, and each time it just feels like, 'OK, what kind of camp is this going to be?' And the three of us, really, we had a lot of fun training together and working together. It was definitely a memorable summer."
It wasn't all tennis and chemistry, either – this summer camp also included movie nights watching Ratatouille. "Some light-heartedness to balance some of the talk and the energy of these characters," Zendaya chuckles.
Challengers is now set to hit cinemas on April 26, 2024. In the meantime, check out our guide to the movie release dates to add to your calendar before the year is out.
This is just a snippet of our interview in the new issue of Total Film magazine, which features The Marvels on the cover. The magazine hits shelves this Thursday, August 17. This issue also comes with a free 48-page photo supplement looking behind the scenes at Warner Bros to mark 100 years of the studio. Check out the covers below:
If you're a fan of Total Film, why not subscribe so that you never miss an issue? You'll get the magazine before it’s in shops, with exclusive subscriber-only covers (like the one pictured above). With our latest offer, you can get a free gift worth £69.99 when you take out a print/bundle subscription. Head to MagazinesDirect to find out more (Ts and Cs apply).
