Zendaya Going Into Awards Season With ‘Eyes Wide Open’ in Hopes to Win Oscar
Zendaya saw success with her sex dramedy Challengers — and now sources exclusively tell Life & Style she's convinced her film backers to pour big bucks into a potential Best Actress campaign.
"Zendaya wouldn't have pushed for this Oscar campaign if she didn't think she at least had a shot," says a source. "Even though she was proud of the movie, she genuinely didn't think it would make the money it has or get the critical acclaim that it has."
The sports drama, which premiered in Sydney on March 26 before it was released in the United States one month later by Amazon MGM Studios, centers around a love triangle between a tennis star-turned-coach (played by the 28-year-old actress), her tennis player ex-boyfriend and her tennis champion husband.
Following its release, the movie grossed $94 million worldwide, which is almost double the film's $55 million budget. It also received positive reviews for Zendaya, who is already a two-time Primetime Emmy Award winner and a Golden Globe Award winner.
Now, the Euphoria star is gunning for Oscar gold.
According to the Life & Style source, Zendaya is going into the awards season "with eyes wide open" and with the "full backing" of powerful producer Amy Pascal — also behind Spider-Man: Homecoming — who "brought her the project in the first place."
And while competition may be fierce this year, the insider says Zendaya is totally unfazed by going head-to-head with early favorites that include A-list actresses Angelina Jolie and Amy Adams.
"That said," the source shares, "I don't think Zendaya is prepared for how formidable and, frankly, terrifying women like Amy Adams and Angelina Jolie can be on the awards circuit."
Angelina, 49, is already receiving tons of Oscar buzz for her performance in director Pablo Larraín's Maria Callas biopic, which recently premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival.
Meanwhile, Amy, 50, is said to give a strong performance in her new film Nightbitch, which premiered earlier this month at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
The actresses both "have big movies this fall," notes the source, "and they both want to win Best Actress, too."
Adds the insider, "The one relief is that Challengers is already profitable. It has already connected with young people, and it has already earned its seat at the table."
Still, the source wonders, "Is that going to be enough to get Zendaya her first Best Actress nomination? We're about to find out!"
Earlier this summer, a source told In Touch that Angelina was purposefully laying low to prepare for the release of her film Maria — and the awards season that will follow!
"Remember, it's been 25 years since she won her Oscar [for Girl, Interrupted], and she's hungry to get back in the game and by all accounts, she deserves a shot with this movie," the source said. "But Angie is in a class by herself when it comes to movie actresses, and that's a huge problem for her when it comes to making friends on her level and, indeed, keeping them."
The source noted, "She's resigned to the fact that if she's going to make it all the way to the Oscars this year, she's basically going to be doing it alone."
