Challengers’ wildest scene wasn’t originally in the script, but was added for perfect reason

The most talked-about scene in Challengers almost wasn’t included, as Luca Guadagnino reveals it wasn’t in the original script.

Challengers is the biggest movie around right now, and for good reason. Trailers and reviews made it clear that Luca Guadagnino’s sexy sport drama was not to be missed, thanks to the slick style and the overwhelming power of the starring trio. But above all, audiences were drawn to the wildly sensual nature of the new movie, particularly with one kissing scene involving all three leads.

As shown in the trailer, Challengers includes a tense scene in which Tashi, Art, and Patrick (played by Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor) become entangled in a tempting three-way kiss that has every person locking lips. It’s a great scene, made all the more heart-pounding by the natural escalation and youthful awkwardness that comes from Justin Kuritzkes’ script.

But, as Luca Guadagnino tells it, the scene wasn’t part of the plan during early stages.

“I don’t think that was in the script at the beginning,” he said [via Entertainment Weekly]. “Not at all. We discussed at length with Justin the concept that the triangle needs to flesh out the possibility that all the corners touch — that if you’re jealous of someone, you’re not jealous of your partner, you’re jealous also not to be picked by the rival.

“You want to be the object of the affection of the rival, so you’re jealous of not being part of it as much as you are jealous of your partner being chosen.”

The moment came to pass after Guadagnino and Kuritzkes worked together on the script, with an aim to amp up the “usefulness and fun” of the scene. Ultimately, this reasoning ended up producing one of the most-discussed moments of the entire film, and helped establish the central relationship that formed the rest of the plot.

“The idea [is] that Tashi can see what they don’t want to see or they cannot see, which is this incredible attraction that they have not only for her but also for one another,” Guadagnino added. “And so Justin made the very funny scene, wrote beautiful dialogue, and I thought that the mundanity of this hotel room in Queens was quite touching in portraying youth.

“For me, it was all about staying there, staying with them, staying with the jokes, staying with the moment of embarrassment, followed by the moment of excitement, and eventually to show the geometry the movie sets up in that moment, the power that she had over them.”

For more on Challengers, check out our guide to the Challengers age rating, and find out if it was based on a true story. We’ve also got a breakdown of how to watch Challengers if you haven’t got around to it yet.