Some of the best movies of 2024 are the films that feature stellar performances from one of the most exciting generations of actors in decades, with performers like Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh, Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal continuing to push the acting art form forward. The best directors of the last few years seem to know that this slate of young performers is key to the success of their newest films, as many of the most prominent directors of the 2020s have been sharing actors across all of their projects.

In a recent "Directors on Directors" interview with Variety, Denis Villeneuve and Luca Guadagnino sat down and discussed their most recent films, Dune: Part Two and Challengers, and what went into making them two of the best movies of 2024. Their discussion led to a conversation about two stars they frequently share, Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya. When looking back on both films,...