Challengers Trailer: Zendaya And The Director Of Call Me By Your Name, Together At Last

Thank the movie gods for Luca Guadagnino.

We're in that period of summer movie season where everything can feel a little bit ... empty. A handful of potential blockbusters have proven to be disappointments (either creative or financial) right in front of our eyes, more potential blockbusters are on the way carrying limited buzz, and with all of the sequels and IP noise, a feeling of sameness can start to creep in.

Thankfully, filmmaker Luca Guadagnino is here with "Challengers," an original film from screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes that's coming out this fall. Zendaya ("Dune," "Euphoria") plays a tennis professional who becomes the object of affection of two best friends, played by Josh O'Connor (Prince Charles from Netflix's "The Crown") and Mike Faist (Riff from Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story"), and things get even more complicated from there. "Challengers" seems to tap into Guadagnino's penchant for depicting complex human relationships on screen, often with a heaping helping of sensuality. This is an excellent trailer, which once again underlines just how much sex and sensuality has all but vanished from mainstream American moviemaking.

I will caution you about one thing, though. I knew the basic premise of this movie (as described above), but this trailer reveals something about the film's structure that I didn't expect, and I think it would have been kind of amazing to experience it unfold fresh on the big screen. So if you're someone who is intrigued by the plot and the people involved and doesn't need any more convincing to seek this out when it comes to theaters in September, it might be wise to skip this trailer altogether. For the rest of you, feast your eyes on one of the best trailers of 2023 so far.

I had no idea the film would feature such a significant time jump, which ramps up the drama and makes those early scenes when the characters are younger all the more important. Years after the trio's initial meeting, the two men seem to be playing in a match that matters more about what happens off the court than what happens on it, with Zendaya's character poised as a throwback femme fatale type of character who appears to be in total control of the dynamic at all times. It's thrilling to see the actor, who has teamed with frequent Luca Guadagnino collaborator Timothée Chalamet in the "Dune" films, get her opportunity to take the spotlight under the director's watchful eye here, and I can't wait to settle in and see how this all plays out as "Challengers" helps kick off the fall movie season.

Here's the official synopsis:

From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, "Challengers" stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion on a losing streak (Mike Faist — "West Side Story"), 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 — "The Crown") — his former best friend and Tashi's former boyfriend. As their pasts and presents collide, and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself, what will it cost to win.

"Challengers" arrives in theaters on September 15, 2023.