Zendaya has spoken about her working relationship with Academy Award-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins after the duo collaborated on a luxury fashion campaign ahead of their highly anticipated biographical film, Be My Baby.
The actor and director recently paired up for Prada Beauty's promotional rollout for its latest fragrance, Prada Paradoxe. The commercial project marks the first time the two high-profile creatives have collaborated directly in front of a camera lens, serving as a functional precursor to their upcoming feature-length film about the life of 1960s musical icon Ronnie Spector.
In an interview discussing the luxury campaign, Zendaya explained that the experience offered a valuable opportunity to develop their creative dynamic before entering a major movie production.
A On-Set Test Drive for the Creative Duo
The commercial campaign introduces Zendaya as the global ambassador for the Prada Paradoxe line, featuring a cinematic short directed by Barry Jenkins. While the two have spent considerable time developing their upcoming biographical drama behind the scenes, the luxury advertisement allowed them to establish their rhythm on an active set.
"It was nice to test-drive our on-set relationship, because as much as we've been working kind of behind the scenes and off camera, we've never actually been able to work in front of a camera together yet," Zendaya said. "So this was our first time being able to do that, and it was so fun. And we really enjoyed experimenting and having fun with this campaign—he was just so easy to work with."
The creative alignment comes at a busy period for Zendaya, who has recently balanced appearances for luxury fashion houses with an active slate of high-profile cinematic roles. The actor noted that joining the campaign felt organic, given that she had frequently worn the original fragrance prior to signing an official partnership with the brand.
Shifting Focus to 'Be My Baby'
With the commercial project completed, attention returns to the upcoming biographical film Be My Baby, which is being developed by independent studio A24. The feature film will explore the life and career of Ronnie Spector, the former lead singer of the iconic 1960s girl group The Ronettes.
The project has been in slow development since 2020, with Ronnie Spector herself serving as an executive producer before her death in January 2022 at the age of 78. Notably, Ronnie Spector personally selected Zendaya to portray her on screen during the early stages of production.
Rather than utilizing a traditional, wide-spanning narrative structure that covers a subject's entire lifespan, Be My Baby is reported to focus heavily on a specific, critical window of Ronnie Spector’s life. According to production details, the narrative will primarily center on her volatile six-year marriage and creative partnership with the late music producer Phil Spector.
The film's screenplay is being written by David Kajganich, known for his work on expressive, character-driven scripts such as Bones and All and Suspiria. The production team includes producers Marc Platt, Adam Siegel, Mark Itkin, and Tom Shelly, alongside Zendaya herself. Barry Jenkins’ partners at Pastel, Adele Romanski and Mark Ceryak, are also attached to produce.
Established Collaborations and Future Timeline
Both Zendaya and Barry Jenkins share a substantial creative history with A24, the studio anchoring the project. Barry Jenkins previously won the Academy Award for Best Picture with the studio for his 2016 film Moonlight. Zendaya’s long-running performance in the drama series Euphoria is also tied to the distributor, alongside her role in the upcoming feature film The Drama.
While the Prada Paradoxe campaign provided a brief preview of how the director and star interact on set, a formal production timeline and theatrical release schedule for the Ronnie Spector biopic have not yet been publicly finalized by the studio.
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