‘Challengers’ Premiere: Zendaya Calls Luca Guadagnino “Brilliant” & Josh O’Connor Says Working With Director Was “A Real Treat & An Honor”

Zendaya not only stars in Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers but is also a producer in the film written by Justin Kuritzkes.

At the LA premiere, the film’s star talked to Deadline about working with Guadagnino in the movie, which she co-stars in with Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist.

More from Deadline

• Zendaya Achieves Red Carpet Grand Slam While Promoting ‘Challengers’

• ‘Challengers’ Review: Luca Guadagnino’s Zendaya-Led Dramedy About Love And Rivalry Across The Tennis Court

• 'Spider-Man' Producer Amy Pascal Admits Not Knowing Who Zendaya Was When She Auditioned For MJ

“Luca is brilliant. I think he has such a beautiful understanding about the human experience and deeply understands characters on another level,” she told us. “That was very apparent from the first time I spoke with him about this film and about these characters. He just knew who these people were in a deep sense and understood them, their hopes, their wants, their dreams, their desires, their fears.”

She continued, “It was nice. It was so special to be able to collaborate with him, work with him, and learn from him as well. We had tennis training and all these great things. But we also had rehearsal, which was something he had never done before, and it was just so special for us to have that time to work on the script, dig in, and get to know each other.”

O’Connor echoed his love of working with Guadagnino, saying it was an honor.

“It was a pleasure working on this movie,” he told us on the red carpet. “When you got a director like Luca, it’s such an inspiration. He knows exactly what he’s doing in any given scene, and it’s a real treat and an honor.”

Faist also took a moment to chat with Deadline about what excited him about taking on the role of Art Donaldson.

Challengers follows Zendaya’s Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy who is now a coach. Tashi is married to a tennis champion who is on a losing streak and soon finds himself facing off against his former best friend and Tashi’s ex-boyfriend.

The film opens in theaters on April 26.

Best of Deadline

• 2024 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming

• Step & Repeat Gallery: The Best Red Carpet & Party Photos Of 2024

• 'Wednesday' Season 2: Everything We Know About The Cast, Premiere Date & More

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.