Zendaya nearly reunited with Challengers director Luca Guadagnino before ultimately dropping out of a role in his latest film.
Who replaced Zendaya in After the Hunt?
After working with Guadagnino on Challengers, Zendaya almost starred in his 2025 film After the Hunt. During an interview with Deadline, After the Hunt’s cinematographer, Malik Hassan Sayeed, revealed that the character of Maggie Resnick was originally white. After changing Maggie’s race, Zendaya was circling the role. Ultimately, Zendaya dropped out and was replaced by Ayo Edebiri.
“When I first read the script, Ayo’s character was white. Her being Black was a layer Luca added,” Sayeed told Deadline. “When casting started, Zendaya was going to play that part, a natural choice coming out of Challengers. And then Ayo was cast.”
After the Hunt stars Julia Roberts as Alma Imhoff, a college professor who finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads when a star student (Edebiri) levels an accusation against one of her colleagues (Andrew Garfield). “Faced with the blurred lines between morality and power dynamics,” the official synopsis reads, “a dark secret from her own past threatens to come into the light.”
Guadagnino directed After the Hunt from an original screenplay written by Nora Garrett. The film was initially slated as an awards contender by premiering at the 2025 Venice Film Festival before its fall release. However, mixed reviews and bad word of mouth led to the film’s downfall.
Released on October 10, After the Hunt bombed at the box office. To date, the psychological thriller has grossed $3.2 million domestically and $7.9 million worldwide. After the Hunt cost between $70 million and $80 million, with Roberts reportedly earning a $20 million salary.
On the other hand, Zendaya’s collaboration with Guadagnino, Challengers, was a much bigger critical and commercial hit. Released in April 2024, Challengers grossed over $96 million on a $55 million budget.
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