Zendaya Revealed How She Became Completely Obsessed with Beyoncé’s New Song While Filming Challengers — “We Didn’t Engage That Entire Day”
Zendaya's obsession with Beyoncé’s latest track took over her day on the Challengers set, leaving her co-stars, including Josh O'Connor, in the dust. Find out what happened next during the movie's filming.
Zendaya Obsessed with Beyoncé’s Song (Photo Credit – Instagram)
Advertisement
Zendaya’s obsession with Beyoncé hit an all-time high during the filming of Challengers. According to her co-star Josh O’Connor, the Euphoria star couldn’t be reached — emotionally or otherwise — when Beyoncé’s new track dropped. “No one could talk to Z,” O’Connor spilled during a joint interview with V Man. “We didn’t engage that entire day. You were listening to that song every second.”
Zendaya didn’t even deny it. She jumped in, adding that it was the last day of shooting in Boston. “She gave us a good song to give us our farewell,” she said, clearly still reliving the moment.
While Zendaya was deep in her Beyoncé bubble, she also worked on the court. In Challengers, Zendaya plays Tashi, a tennis pro turned coach, juggling her husband Art’s (Mike Faist) struggling career and a heated reunion with his childhood best friend — who also happens to be her ex (O’Connor). The result? A messy love triangle with tension thick enough to cut with a racket.
Director Luca Guadagnino didn’t surrender his love for the characters or the chaotic energy they bring to the screen. “They’re beautifully complex and really fucked-up people that I love very much,” he told IndieWire. And, honestly, who wouldn’t want to see a hyperkinetic sports drama with queer undertones?
Written by Justin Kuritzkes, Challengers was initially set to kick off the 2023 Venice Film Festival. But thanks to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, fans must wait until April 26, 2024, for the film’s big debut.
As for Zendaya’s Beyoncé moment? It might’ve slowed filming for a day, but it only proves that when Queen Bey speaks, we listen — even if the world (or set) comes to a halt. And judging by Zendaya’s excitement, that track was the perfect soundtrack for a Boston goodbye.
