Zendaya Reached Out To Timothée Chalamet Before Signing Up For Luca Guadagnino’s Sexy Tennis Movie ‘Challengers’

The Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet connection goes further than Dune. He got his big break (and first Oscar nomination) in Call Me by Your Name… which was directed by Luca Guadagnino… whose new film stars… Zendaya.

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, this ain’t.

Before signing up for Guadagnino’s sexy tennis movie Challengers, Zendaya reached out to Chalamet about working with the director. “He said wonderful things,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “Luca is brilliant and I’ve wanted to work with Luca for a very long time and this just seemed like the absolute perfect thing.” She added, “When we first met about the script he had such a keen, deep understanding of the characters from the beginning and a clearer idea of the kind of movie he wanted to create.”

Here’s the official synopsis for Challengers:

From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, 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), 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) – 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.

Challengers opens in theaters on April 26. See it.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)