Zendaya scores first big solo box office opening with 'Challengers' at $15M

The tennis drama Challengers won the box office this weekend with $15 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. 

Zendaya and castmates Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor have been on a globetrotting press tour to get the word out about Italian director Luca Guadagnino's original film, which opened in 3,477 locations in the US and Canada.

"We're obviously very, very happy with the number," said Kevin Wilson, who heads theatrical distribution for Amazon Studios and MGM. "Looking at the audience who showed up, it's really encouraging. It's not the easiest audience to get to theatres."

Women made up 58% of ticket buyers, who also skewed younger overall: 41% were between the ages of 18 and 24.

Ticket sales from large format screens, including IMAX, made up about 40% of the opening weekend grosses. According to a PostTrak exit poll reported by Deadline, 55% of audiences said they went to see the film because of Zendaya. In fact, this weekend, Zendaya movies accounted for around 26% of the overall box office with the re-release of Dune: Part Two in IMAX, which made nearly $2 million.

The 27-year-old actor has been part of some of the most successful franchises of the last few years, including the Spider-Man and Dune movies. In both cases, those were supporting roles in massive brand-name properties, but her eye-catching red-carpet looks also often make headlines.

Challengers would be the first real test of her ability to "open" a film on her own star and MGM and Amazon were not going to risk doing it without her.

The studio had originally planned to release Challengers in the fall of 2023, with a picturesque launch at the Venice Film Festival. But when the actors went on strike last July, the studio made the decision to scuttle the festival premiere and move the film to this weekend when they could safely assume the strike would be resolved. Zendaya sported many tennis-themed looks, styled by Law Roach, for her appearances.

"It would be hard to argue that we should have released this movie when she wasn't able to support," Wilson said. He gave special credit to the studio's publicity and marketing teams for orchestrating a world tour that resulted in several viral fashion moments.

Reviews have been largely positive for the R-rated movie, which teases a steamy and competitive love triangle between the tennis players. It currently has an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and got a B CinemaScore from opening day audiences.

Guadagnino's last film Bones And All, starring Zendaya's Dune co-star Timothée Chalamet, made $15.2 million in its entire run. By midweek, Challengers is expected to surpass Call Me By Your Name ($18 million) to become Guadagnino's highest grossing film.

For Amazon MGM Studios, the value also extends beyond the box office driving a "downstream value" for Amazon, including when Challengers eventually makes its way to Prime Video.

"I've always believed that theatrical is the best way to launch some of these films," Wilson said. "When this thing gets to Prime Video, it's obviously going to perform at a level that would be much greater than had it just gone directly to the platform. Theatrical is only a piece of it."