Zendaya’s Steamy R-Rated Smash ‘Challengers’ Lands New Streaming Home

Zendaya is all set to heat up our screens again when Euphoria Season 3 makes its long-awaited premiere on HBO later this year, but before we get there, one of her steamiest movies yet is set to land on a new streaming home next month. Directed by Luca Guadagnino and released in 2024, this one unexpectedly became one of the most talked-about movies of the year. Filled with sexuality, psychology, and adult themes, we’re talking about none other than the smash hit Challengers.

Hitting theaters on April 26, 2024, Challengers is a unique sports drama that unfolds non-linearly as it examines the love triangle between a tennis coach, her ex-boyfriend, and her husband. It’s that jumping back and forth between time periods that helped make the movie a success and claim the number one spot at the box office the weekend of its release. By the time it was all said and done, Challengers took in $96 million and made Zendaya a bigger star than she already was.

Written by Justin Kuritzkes and also featuring Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist, Darnell Appling, and Shane Harris, Challengers is only available to stream on MGM+ at the moment, but all that will change next week. The spicy sports flick is set to debut on its new home Peacock on Feb. 1, and will be exclusive to the platform — meaning you won’t find it streaming anywhere else. For those who have already seen it, then you know how heart-pumping it really is, and for those who haven’t, check out the synopsis below:

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 it will cost to win.

‘Challengers’ Is More Than Just Its Steamy Love Scenes

Mike Faist, Zendaya, and Josh O’Connor in ‘Challengers’

Amazon MGM Studios

While it might be easy for some to dismiss Challengers as nothing more than hot garbage thanks to the movie’s sexual content, it’s so much more than that for those who are willing to really give it a chance. Yes, it’s definitely “hot,” but at its core, Challengers is a film about power, manipulation, and control that showcases how easy it can be to replace morality with ambition.

Critics agree, as Challengers holds a Certified Fresh rating of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a phenomenal score for a movie filled with so much spicy content. Usually critics shy away from praising these kinds of films, but Challengers has been called everything from “a ferocious outing that buzzes with eroticism” to a movie where “each frame feels carefully constructed” by various critics. Fans are mostly in agreement, as they gave the movie a respectable rating of 76%.