Acclaimed filmmaker Luca Guadagnino's upcoming feature, Challengers, will open the 80th Venice Film Festival on August 30. Challengers stars Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, and Mike Faist in the lead roles and will screen out of competition in the festival. The film festival announced the news on Thursday.
The film's official logline read, "Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion on a losing streak (Mike Faist – West Side Story), Tashi's strategy for her husband's redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (Josh O'Connor – The Crown) – his former best friend and Tashi's former boyfriend. As their pasts and presents collide, and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself, what will it cost to win."
Written by Justin Kuritzkes, Challengers is produced by Guadagnino and Zendaya, along with Rachel O'Connor and Amy Pascal.
The 80th Venice Film Festival is scheduled to start on August 30 and end on September 9.