It's time for Mike Faist to put his dance shoes away. Deadline is reporting that the Broadway favorite is in final negotiations for the upcoming movie Challengers.
Faist is expected to star in the romantic flick alongside Euphoria actor Zendaya and The Crown's Josh O'Conner. This project won't mark Faist's big-screen debut, as he has been soaking up the press for his role as Riff in the latest film adaptation of Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, and Arthur Laurents' West Side Story, which he starred in alongside Rachel Zegler and Ariana DeBose.
Challengers will tell the story of former tennis player Tashi (Zendaya), whose career change led her to coach her husband, Art (Faist), in the sport. After he is transformed into a champion tennis player, she urges him to break free of his losing streak by playing a Challenger event, described as the lowest competition on the pro tour. At the event, they come head-to-head with Tashi's ex-boyfriend and Art's ex-BFF, Patrick (O'Conner).
The tennis-themed movie will be directed by Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name) and produced by Guadagnino, Amy Pascal (Spider-Man: No Way Home), and Zendaya. Its script will be penned by playwright Justin Kuritzkes, best known for his 2016 work The Sensuality Party.
Challengers is expected to begin production in March and will be distributed by MGM.
