Zendaya's latest film Challengers had an impressive start at the box office this weekend, raking in an estimated $15 million in ticket sales according to early figures. The sexy tennis drama starring Zendaya alongside Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor captured the top spot and defeated other new releases to clinch the number one position.
Directed by acclaimed Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers follows the story of a competitive yet steamy love triangle between three professional tennis players. Zendaya leads the cast as one of the tennis stars at the center of the on-court rivalry and off-court romance. The film enjoyed positive reviews from critics praising its performances and intimate character drama set against the high stakes world of professional tennis.
Audience demographics for Challengers showed it strongly appealed to female moviegoers, who comprised 58% of the opening weekend crowd. Over 40% of ticket sales came from large format IMAX and Dolby Cinema screens, underscoring the film's visually immersive style. Post-screening surveys found that over half the audience chose to see the movie specifically due to Zendaya's star power and popularity.
The strong box office debut for Challengers is a testament to Zendaya's box office draw and ability to drive audiences to theaters for a feature she headlines. It marks her highest solo opening as a leading lady and represents an important milestone in her still young but massively successful career in both film and television.
With its box office numbers still rising and overwhelmingly positive word-of-mouth from opening audiences, Challengers and its A-list cast are poised for an impressive box office run that could make it director Luca Guadagnino's highest grossing film yet. Only time will tell if the movie has what it takes to become a sleeper hit, but its promising start bodes well for its chances at finding a wide engaged audience.
