In her latest role, Zendaya finds herself in the middle of a complicated love triangle that has audiences talking.
As the Golden Globe winner, 27, and her Challengers co-stars Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist promoted the film, director Luca Guadagnino revealed that a crucial three-way kissing scene was not in the original screenplay by screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes.
“I don’t think that was in the script at the beginning. Not at all,” he told Entertainment Weekly ahead of Friday’s premiere.
“We talked at length with Justin about the concept that the triangle needs to flesh out the possibility of all corners touching – that if you’re jealous of someone, you’re not jealous of your partner, you’re also jealous of not not be.” chosen by the rival.
Guadagnino explained: “You want to be the object of the rival’s affection, so you are jealous of not being a part of it as much as you are jealous of your partner’s choice.”
Challengers director Luca Guadagnino has revealed that a crucial three-way kissing scene was not in screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes’ original script.
“I don’t think that was in the script at the beginning. Not at all,” he said of the scene between Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor.
In Challengers, Zendaya plays Tashi, a retired tennis player who coached her husband Art (Mike Faist) to Grand Slam status after an injury took her out of the sport.
After convincing him to participate in a challenger event, Art finds himself online facing Patrick (Josh O’Connor), his childhood friend and Tashi’s ex.
The kiss scene takes place near the beginning of the film, when the trio are high school students staying in a hotel during a game.
While collaborating with Kuritzkes on the script, Guadagnino said he wanted to build on the “utility and pleasure” of the scene.
‘The idea [is] that Tashi can see what they don’t want to see or can’t see, which is this incredible attraction that they have not only for her but also for each other,” he said. explain.
“And so Justin did a very funny scene, wrote some beautiful dialogue, and I thought the banality of this hotel room in Queens was touching enough to represent youth.”
Guadagnino continued: “For me it was all about staying there, staying with them, staying with the jokes, staying with the moment of awkwardness, followed by the moment of excitement, and finally showing the geometry that the film sets up at that moment, the power she had over them.
Faist, 32, confirmed that “the script has changed,” noting: “The script that I think we all read initially before we signed up and accepted the project is different from the one we agreed to do. TO DO.”
Zendaya added: “Yes, there were a few drafts… Luca and Justin worked on the script in Italy before we all got together.
In Challengers, Zendaya plays Tashi, a retired tennis player who coached her husband Art (Faist) to Grand Slam status after an injury took her out of the sport.
After convincing him to participate in a challenger event, Art finds himself online facing Patrick (Josh O’Connor), his childhood friend and Tashi’s ex.
Although Challengers is already praised for its steamy scenes, Zendaya previously revealed that there was no sex in the film.
‘I believe [Kuritzkes] I hadn’t really done many drafts of the original project… and although it was absolutely brilliant, I know Luca wanted to infuse his own elements into it, and so this collaboration started quite early,” he said. she adds.
Although Challengers is already praised for its steamy scenes, Zendaya previously revealed that there was no sex in the film.
“We keep saying that tennis is the sex in the movie, and I think tennis contains a metaphor for a lot of things: desires, passion, pain, anger, frustration,” a- she told People.
“I think they all use tennis as a way to communicate with each other when they just don’t have the words,” Zendaya added.
Zendaya also told the Mirror that “the intimate scenes were so good that I loved it,” adding of her co-stars: “I felt very lucky to be partnered with these guys.”
The Disney Channel alum said seeing her family’s reactions to those scenes during the premiere “was honestly my favorite part” of appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
“Well, they know it’s an R-rated movie,” she said. “I say, you know, coming in here, if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. I warned them.
Challengers is now playing in theaters.
