Zendaya is one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood today. A testament to this is her salary for the upcoming film Challengers. Zendaya earned $10 million to star in and produce the upcoming tennis-based movie Challengers, according to a Variety report. Also read: Zendaya reveals Serena Williams' reaction to her Challengers role
Challengers box office
Another Variety report said that the film is projected to collect $12 million to $15 million in North America in its opening weekend. The steamy, R-rated film was initially slated to premiere at 2023’s Venice Film Festival and hit the big screen last year.
However, the studio, Amazon MGM, opted to delay its release to 2024 because the actors' strike prevented Zendaya and her co-stars Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor from being able to promote the movie. The film is now releasing on April 26.
More about the movie
“It’s a movie, and it’s tennis, but it’s not a tennis movie,” Zendaya told Variety, adding “It’s much deeper. Tennis is just a metaphor for a lot of bigger s–t. For power. For codependency. They’re using tennis as their device to get these things out of their system. It’s the only way they know how to communicate.”
{{/usCountry}}“It’s a movie, and it’s tennis, but it’s not a tennis movie,” Zendaya told Variety, adding “It’s much deeper. Tennis is just a metaphor for a lot of bigger s–t. For power. For codependency. They’re using tennis as their device to get these things out of their system. It’s the only way they know how to communicate.”
{{/usCountry}}Zendaya, 27, plays Tashi Duncan, the movie’s main character, a former tennis prodigy caught in a love triangle with husband Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and ex Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor).
Apart from playing the lead role in Challengers, Zendaya is also producing the project along with Amy Pascal, Rachel O'Connor, and Guadagnino. In an interview with CNN, Zendaya opened up about her experience of turning into a producer.
"The more time I spend in front of the camera, the more I enjoy being behind it,” Zendaya said. She added, "Being surrounded by Luca, it helped me gain confidence. It was a beautiful place to learn and to really feel like I had a voice and a seat at the table."