Challengers Is Banking On Zendaya's Star Power To Become A Box Office Hit
Zendaya has, in just a small handful of years, asserted herself as a true A-list star in Hollywood. So much focus is paid to actors in their 40s (or much older) such as Tom Cruise, one of the many famous people named Chris, or Anne Hathaway. But Zendaya has emerged as one of our new movie stars, thanks to her work in wildly successful franchises such as "Dune" and "Spider-Man." But can her star power help turn "Challengers," an original sports drama centered around tennis, into a hit? That's the big question MGM is asking right now as the movie gets ready to make its way to theaters next weekend.
Hailing from "Call Me By Your Name" director Luca Guadagnino, "Challengers" is eyeing an opening between $7 and $12 million, per Box Office Pro. The only other big release on April 26 is Lionsgate's Christian drama "Unsung Hero." Yes, faith-based movies have an audience (just look at last year's surprise hit "Sound of Freedom"), but that audience is usually somewhat limited. Still, it is tracking to open in a similar range. Even so, Guadagnino's latest has a relatively clear runway to at least be the highest-grossing newcomer of the weekend. Fortunately, it won't be facing any major, direct competition.
On the plus side, Zendaya is coming in hot off of "Dune: Part Two," which is on the verge of passing the $700 million mark globally and is currently the top-grossing movie of 2024. MGM is also coming off of a mid-budget hit with David Ayer's "The Beekeeper," which grossed $152 million worldwide against a reported $40 million budget. While the budget for "Challengers" has yet to be revealed, odds are it's in a similar range. If it costs between $35 and $40 million, it probably needs to make somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 million worldwide to become an outright theatrical hit. That's no small task for an original film in the pandemic era.
Can Zendaya help make Challengers into an original hit?
The film centers on Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), a tennis prodigy-turned-coach who is married to a champion on a losing streak. Her strategy for her husband's redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against his washed-up, former best friend, who also happens to be Tashi's former boyfriend. The cast also includes Mike Faist ("West Side Story") and Josh O'Connor ("The Crown").
MGM originally planned to open "Challengers" last year but opted to push it to 2024 due to the Screen Actors Guild strike. Now, Zendaya and the rest of the cast can promote it, which will be an asset. Zendaya has pretty much only starred in hits, including "Spider-Man: No Way Home" ($1.9 billion), which ranks as one of the biggest movies in history. Guadagnino, on the other hand, is coming off of 2022's "Bones and All," which made just $15 million worldwide. Granted, his latest movie has a sexier angle than "young star-crossed lovers who are also cannibals," and it's certain to appeal to a wider audience.
Zendaya hasn't really had the chance to open an original film as the central star, which is key. Her HBO series "Euphoria" is wildly popular, though, and she starred in Netflix's "Malcolm & Marie." So audiences will turn up for her in non-franchise fare. Working in the movie's favor is solid buzz. It currently carries a stellar 96% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. You can read /Film's official review of "Challengers" right here.
If nothing else, this movie has a great shot at becoming the highest-grossing tennis movie of all time. That title currently belongs to 2004's "Wimbledon," which made $41 million in its day. It starred Kirsten Dunst who was, at the time, playing Mary Jane in Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" trilogy. Interestingly, Zendaya currently plays MJ in Tom Holland's "Spider-Man" films, making for an odd parallel.
"Challengers" hits theaters on April 26, 2024.