Zendaya’s New A24 Movie Is Her Chance To Prove She’s A Real Star

Movie stars are an endangered species these days. Celebrity is alive and well, and actors are better than ever at building personal brands and growing their own, dedicated fanbase. But whether because social media made them too accessible off the silver screen or because studios abandoned the kinds of films that create them, actors whose mere presence is a box-office draw are increasingly rare. Whether anyone under 40 could even become one has long been debated.

If asked to list the best candidates, Zendaya is undoubtedly one of the first names on the list. The former Disney Channel star used her Emmy-winning role on Euphoria to become one of the most famous people of her generation, and she's had some real success at the box office. She's a presence in the MCU via her role as MJ in the Spider-Man movies, and Denis Villeneuve's Dune films could end up some of the decade's defining sci-fi. But those hits are IP-driven, and in neither case is Zendaya the lead. Challengers grossing $96 million in 2024 was a promising sign, but that's more reflective of the low expectations for originals like that these days, rather than the film making money on its $55 million budget.

But, just like the company did for Timothée Chalamet with Marty Supreme, A24 is giving her the chance to prove she's a legit movie star – in what will be the biggest year of her career.

If The Drama Hits, Zendaya Proves To Hollywood She Can Open A Movie

Zendaya will be everywhere in 2026. In addition to playing the goddess Athena in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, which is already positioning itself as the cinematic event of the year, she's set to reprise her two biggest roles thus far: MJ in Spider-Man: Brand New Day; and Chani in Dune: Part Three. All three of these films could end up on the list of the ten highest-grossing by the end of the year.

Before their release, however, she's starring in The Drama, a two-hander alongside Robert Pattinson about a couple in the lead up to their wedding. Just days before, as part of a game, Zendaya's Emma shares the worst thing she's ever done, which The Drama's excellent new trailer declines to reveal. Whatever it is, though, it's clearly bad, and the fallout threatens to shake their relationship.

Original, adult-targeted movies like this are a difficult prospect in this theatrical climate; it has a good premise, and A24 has had more success marketing films of this scale than most, but that won't be enough to draw audiences on its own. The Drama needs the pairing of Zendaya and Pattinson to be compelling enough to justify the excursion and ticket price. In other words, it needs them to be bona fide movie stars.

If the film hits, the rest of Zendaya's year becomes much more meaningful. Already, she's someone whose interest can get projects moving, but as a star who can actually open a movie, she'll have much more ability to influence what gets made for theaters. The Drama moves that needle for her more than any of her blockbusters, because all that profile doesn't add up to much if it can't translate outside the franchises.