‘Challengers,’ Starring Zendaya, Will Skip Venice Premiere Due To Actors Strike, Moves To 2024

etcanada.com:

Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers,” starring Zendaya, has been pulled from the Venice Film Festival, where it was to be the opening night film, due to the actors strike.

The R-rated “Challengers,” in which Zendaya stars as a tennis coach involved in a love triangle, had been planned to kick off the Venice Film Festival on Aug.

30 before opening in theaters Sept. 15. But with actors striking from working or promoting their films — including walking any red carpets — distributor MGM, which is owned by Amazon Studios, will instead open “Challengers” in theaters April 26 next year. “After thoughtful consideration with our partners, and given the parameters that SAG-AFTRA has outlined for its membership, we have made the difficult decision to withdraw ‘Challengers’ from this year’s Venice International Film Festival,” MGM said in a statement Friday. “We look forward to celebrating the film when we can do so with our ensemble cast, director Luca Guadagnino and the filmmaking team at a later date.” READ MORE: ‘Challengers’ Trailer: Zendaya Is A Tennis Pro With Two Lovers In Luca Guadagnino’s New Drama “Challengers,” which co-stars Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, is the first major fall festival film to drop out due to the ongoing actors and writers strikes.

But many in the film industry are anxiously watching how long the strikes drag on and how they might disrupt the major fall film festivals.