It doesn’t seem like it, but Rivals marks Zendaya’s debut as a protagonist in theaters; Have you already noticed? – Cinema News

Rivals premieres on April 26th and will feature Zendaya as a tennis coach in the spotlight.

When it comes to Zendaya, it is almost impossible to imagine the actress in secondary roles, since the actress makes a huge impact in all the productions she participates in. The Max Euphoria series and the Marvel film, Spider-Man No Way Home, as well as the most recent Dune are clear examples of this.

Her most recent production, Rivais, marks a turning point in the actress’s career: it is one of the few works in which she does not play a teenager. And yet, in an interview with the Film UpdateZendaya revealed that Rivals is the first film made for theaters in which she is the protagonist!

Since her Disney days, where she starred in Shake It Up alongside Bella Thorne, Zendaya has worked diligently to establish her mark in the industry while choosing projects that challenge her creatively and push her boundaries. On Netflix, she starred in Malcolm & Marie alongside John David Washington.

Rivals is written by Justin Kuritzkes and directed by Luca Guadagnino, and in addition to starring in the film as the headstrong Tashi, a professional tennis coach, Zendaya is also at the forefront of the film’s production.

I feel extremely lucky to be in a position where I can begin to learn more about production and become more confident and comfortable in this role. I think ultimately for me this role represents being able to take care of not just myself, but my fellow actors.

Rivals also stars Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor, as Art Donaldson and Patrick Zweig respectively, characters who will bring to life the most talked about trisal of the moment. O’Connor, who was chosen especially by the actress, revealed that “Zendaya has the ability to create a strong sense of support on set.”

The star of The Crown adds that he felt very well looked after by the actress and that “Working with her was not only professionally rewarding, but also personally enriching. I learned a lot from her as an actress and as a person, lessons that I will carry with me on every set from now on.”

For the future, Zendaya stated that she is evaluating her options, but she will take with her all her learning from rivals, both as an actress and as a producer. “At the end of the day, I learn from every experience and every project I’m a part of. […] I learned to be open to inspiration at any point in your life and to be open to change.[…] So it’s really special to be in this creative role and I feel really grateful.”

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