Zendaya dishes on steamy "tension" and love triangle in Challengers
London, UK - Zendaya is talking all things Challengers as she teases the highly-anticipated movie's emphasis on "sensuality and desire."
In an interview with Empire shared on Tuesday, the 26-year-old and her co-stars revealed some new insight into the tense competition between their characters both on and off the tennis court in the sporty rom-com directed by Luca Guadagnino.
"What Luca's really good at is finding sensuality and desire," Zendaya, who plays Tashi in the flick, said. "There's so much in just glances. The tension builds. Not having the release is a good thing sometimes."
Though the trailer certainly teased some seriously steamy scenes, Josh O'Connor, who plays Tashi's ex Patrick, emphasized that the real action is on the court.
"The film is dealing with the tension before and after. The sex they're all desperate for is on the court," the 33-year-old said.
Zendaya returns to the big screen with Challengers
Zendaya's character of Tashi, a former tennis star, is the central protagonist of the movie.
When Tashi coaches her husband, Art (played by Mike Faist), to his own success in the sport, a challengers tournament pits Art against Tashi's ex, Patrick, heightening tensions all around.
The latest interview was conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike, which has led to the movie's release date being delayed from September 15 to April 26, 2024.
Cover photo: Collage: Alberto E. Rodriguez / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP & IMAGO / Everett Collection