Luca Guadagnino’s highly anticipated film, “Challengers,” starring Zendaya, was set to kick off the Venice Film Festival on August 30 as the opening night film. However, due to the ongoing actors strike, the R-rated drama has been pulled from the festival lineup. The film’s distributor, MGM, which is owned by Amazon Studios, made the difficult decision to withdraw “Challengers” from the festival and reschedule its theatrical release for April 26 next year.
In “Challengers,” Zendaya takes on the role of Tashi Duncan, a tennis coach entangled in a complex love triangle. The story revolves around Tashi’s relationship with two fellow players who are also best friends, her husband Art (played by Mike Faist), and her old flame Patrick (played by Josh O’Connor). Duncan orchestrates a messy reunion between herself, Art, and Patrick, leading to a tumultuous romance drama that explores love, rivalry, and self-discovery.
The ongoing actors and writers strikes have led to widespread uncertainty in the film industry, with many eagerly watching how the labor disputes will impact major fall film festivals. Venice, along with other prestigious festivals like Telluride, Toronto, and New York, serves as a crucial launching pad for fall movies. However, without the presence of stars in attendance, premieres could lose their usual glamour and impact.
MGM, in a statement, explained that after careful consideration with their partners, they decided to withdraw “Challengers” from this year’s Venice International Film Festival, following the guidelines set forth by SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union. The studio expressed its eagerness to celebrate the film at a later date, once the actors strike has been resolved, with the entire ensemble cast, director Luca Guadagnino, and the filmmaking team.
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As “Challengers” joins the growing list of films affected by the strike, industry insiders are concerned about the potential delays and disruptions in the release schedules of other highly anticipated movies. A24’s “Problemista,” featuring Tilda Swinton and directed by Julio Torres, was originally slated to open on August 24 but has been taken off the release schedule due to the ongoing labor dispute. Lionsgate has also delayed the release of Marc Foster’s “White Bird,” a spinoff of the popular film “Wonder,” moving its premiere from August 18 to a later date in the year.
Venice Film Festival organizers have quickly adjusted their lineup in response to the situation, announcing that Edoardo De Angelis’s film “Comandante” will now open the 80th edition of the festival next month.
The impact of the actors strike on the entertainment industry is significant, and it remains to be seen how long the labor disputes will persist. The absence of stars from film festivals and delayed movie releases are just some of the consequences that filmmakers, distributors, and fans are grappling with as they await a resolution.
For fans eagerly anticipating “Challengers” and other fall film releases, the hope is that the labor disputes will be resolved swiftly, allowing these highly anticipated projects to be celebrated in all their glory on the big screen. Until then, the future of these films remains uncertain, and the industry continues to grapple with the challenges posed by the ongoing strike.