The release of the film ‘Challengers’, which has created quite a buzz on the internet from past one month for showing Zendaya getting intimate with two boys simultaneously in the trailer, has been pushed to 2024. It’s also been reported that due to the SAG AFTRA strike going on currently in Hollywood, the film has also skipped its world premiere at the 80th Venice International Film Festival 2023.
‘Challengers’ is an upcoming romantic sports drama, where Zendaya is playing the lead role of Tashi, who is a tennis player turned coach. She has transformed her husband from a mediocre player into a world-famous grand slam champion. To jolt him out of his recent losing streak, she makes him play a challenger event, close to the lowest level of tournament on the pro tour. Tensions soon run high when he finds himself standing across the net from the once-promising, now burnt-out Patrick, his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend.
The film was earlier scheduled to release on September 15 this year, but due to this ongoing actors’ strike, the makers have pulled off its release now. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) officially stated, “After thoughtful consideration with our partners, and given the parameters that SAG-AFTRA has outlined for its membership, we have made the difficult decision to withdraw Challengers’ from this year’s Venice International Film Festival. We look forward to celebrating the film when we can do so with our ensemble cast, director Luca Guadagnino and the filmmaking team at a later date.”
‘Challengers’ is the first major fall festival film to drop out from film festivals. Venice, followed by the Telluride, Toronto and New York festivals are quite important for these kind of films to make their grand premieres.
Not only ‘Challengers’, but the release of a few other films have also been delayed like ‘Problemista’. It was previously scheduled to debut on August 24, 2023. Julia Roberts’ ‘Wonder’ (2017) spin-off ‘White Bird’ has also been delayed from August 18 until later.
