Zendaya Heads Back To The Lido With Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Challengers’ Set To Open Venice Film Festival

Zac Ntim
·2 min read
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The Venice Film Festival will open with the world premiere of Luca Guadagnino’s latest pic Challengers.

The film will be screened Out of Competition on Wednesday, August 30, in the Sala Grande at the Palazzo del Cinema (Lido di Venezia), on the opening night of the 80th Venice Film Festival.

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The pic, which hits U.S. theaters September 15, stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a 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 (Mike Faist from West Side Story) on a losing streak, 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. As their pasts and presents collide, and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself, what will it cost to win?

“I am so thrilled for audiences to experience my new film Challengers at the Venice Film Festival. It’s a modern bold story of youthful energy, love and power. Zendaya, Josh and Mike are totally original and fresh, bringing a new energy like you’ve never seen before,” Guadagnino said. “I can’t wait for the Lido audience to dance across the notes of the soundtrack of Trent [Reznor] and Atticus [Ross] at the opening night of the 80th edition of the Mostra. As a filmmaker, it is a dream come true and I am grateful to Alberto and the whole Venice family for this wonderful recognition for the film.”

Guadagnino was on the Lido last year when he debuted Bones and All, starring Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Russell. He picked up the fest’s Best Director award for his work on the pic. The director, best known for his 2017 breakout Call Me By Your Name, has often returned to the Lido, debuting pics including The Protagonists (1999), Io sono l’amore (2009), Bertolucci on Bertolucci (2013), A Bigger Splash (2015), Suspiria (2018) and Salvatore: The Shoemaker of Dreams (2020).

Challengers is written by Justin Kuritzkes and produced by Amy Pascal, Guadagnino, Zendaya and Rachel O’Connor. Executive producers are Bernard Bellew, Lorenzo Mieli and Kevin Ulrich. The music is by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The film will be distributed in the U.S. by MGM, and internationally via Warner Bros.

As previously announced, Damien Chazelle will be the international jury president for the main competition.

The Venice Film Festival runs August 30-September 9.

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