Zendaya's Challengers pushed to 2024, to skip Venice premiere amid ongoing strikes

Luca Guadagnino’s directorial Challengers,starring Zendaya, is the first big release to be affected by the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The movie, which was set to premiere on the opening night of the Venice Film Festival, has also been pulled out from the lineup.

The R-rated tennis drama starring Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor was set to hit theatres on September 15. However, the film has been delayed and will now be released on April 26, 2024.

Hollywood performers' union SAG-AFTRA has listed out rules that members will follow during their strike, which began at midnight on Thursday (July 13). Under the guidelines set by the union, all promotional activities like interviews, shooting, participation in award shows, and podcasts aren’t allowed for members. Following the same, the cast of the team is prevented from doing promotional work, which may affect the movie's business.

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In a statement on Friday, MGM said, "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 Challengersfrom 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 filmmakingteam at a later date.''

In place of Challengers, the Italian film Comandante starring Pierfrancesco Favino will premiere in competition, which will kick off the festival on August30.

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More about Challengers

In the romantic dramedy, Zendaya plays the role of former tennis player Tashi Duncan, who will coach her husband and tennis player, who is on a losing streak. However, shefinds herself entangled in a love triangle with her husband and ex, who is also a tennis player.

In the movie, Zendaya plays the role of Tashi Donaldson. Mike Faist, who starred in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, plays her husband, Art Donaldson. The Crown star Josh O’Connor plays Tashi's ex, Patrick.

According to the official synopsis, the film follows "three players who knew each other when they were teenagers as they compete in a tennis tournament to be the world-famous grand slam winner and reignite old rivalries on and off the court."

The film is directed by Luca Guadagnino, best known for helming Call Me by Your Name, starring Timothée Chalamet. The film is written by Justin Kuritzkes and produced by Amy Pascal, Guadagnino, Zendaya, and Rachel O’Connor.

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