One of the most talked about filmmakers in the business right now is Celine Song, who is far from singing her last hit. Her directorial debut, Past Lives, was one of the most buzzed about films at the Sundance Film Festival before it went on to be considered one of the best movies of 2023 by many and earned her nominations at the 2024 Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture. Critics and audiences were already excited to see what she would come out with next before it was announced that she was at work on Materialists.
Similar to Past Lives, the South Korean-born filmmaker’s next project is yet another upcoming A24 movie that, reportedly, involves a love triangle. However, there is more exciting information for us to share, with which we can assure you that Song is not in danger of repeating herself with her sophomore effort. So, with that in mind, let’s get right into our guide to everything that we know about Materialists so far.
What Is The Materialists Release Date?
At the moment, no official release date has been announced for Materialists. We cannot promise that the film will secure a spot on the upcoming 2024 movies schedule, but based on what we know about its production schedule (more on that later), we will just say, “Never say never,” for now.
Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, And Pedro Pascal Are In Talks To Star In Materialists
Even though no details regarding the characters featured in Materialists have been revealed, a report by Deadline indicates that the film is going to boast an A-list ensemble. Let’s take a look at the exciting names who are in talks to join the cast, and what other notable acting credits they are known for, one by one, below.
Dakota Johnson
Already no stranger to stories involving complicated romance is Dakota Johnson, who skyrocketed to the A-list when she starred in the Fifty Shades of Grey movies as Anastasia Steele, before later leading a rom-com called How to Be Single and Netflix’s period drama, Persuasion. She made her acting debut alongside her mother, Melanie Griffith, in 1999’s Crazy in Alabama, before appearing in 2010’s The Social Network, 2012’s 21 Jump Street, and Need for Speed from 2013. More recently, Johnson starred in the dramedy, Cha Cha Real Smooth, for Apple TV+ and in the Madame Web cast as the title role.
Pedro Pascal
Pedro Pascal has done a few romances (including the LGBTQ+ western, Strange Way of Life, most recently) and a number of comedies (such as The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent with Nicolas Cage), but Materialists would be his first combination of the two.
The actor is better known for action-packed, blockbuster-level stories on both the big screen (having starred in comic book movies like Kingsman: The Golden Circle and Wonder Woman 1984) and the small screen (having led the hit Star Wars TV show spin-off, The Mandalorian in the title role and HBO’s The Last of Us cast). In addition to being cast in Ari Aster’s Eddington, his career’s blockbuster era is far from over, as he will finally join the MCU in the new Fantastic Four movie as Reed Richards.
Chris Evans
The Materialists cast may also include a veteran of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (as Captain America) and a star of two previous Fantastic Four movies (as Human Torch): Chris Evans. Like Pascal, the actor actually has even more comic book roles under his belt, namely Jensen in 2010’s underrated DC flick, The Losers, and Lucas Lee from the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World cast — the latter of which also counts as one of his many rom-coms. The Pain Hustlers cast member has an upcoming Dwayne Johnson movie coming out in 2024 called Red One.
The Film Is Reportedly A Rom-Com About A Love Triangle
Details on what Materialists is about are scarce at the moment. However, what we do know from a Variety article from early February 2024 is that it has been described as a romantic comedy following a professional matchmaker from New York City who finds a match for herself in a rich man. However, as another detail provided by the aforementioned Deadline article above reveals, the protagonist finds herself torn between her new beau and her feelings for someone from her past: an aspiring actor struggling to make ends meet as a restaurant server.
For anyone who has seen Past Lives, it is easy to understand why Materialists might be subject to comparison to it. The acclaimed A24 movie follows a woman from South Korea (Greta Lee) living happily in New York City with her American husband (John Magaro) when she receives a chance to reconnect with her childhood friend (Teo Yoo), uncovering long dormant feelings and thoughts of what their lives could have been had they not parted before. It should likely be easy to differentiate the two once Materialists is released, however, since it reportedly takes a more comedic approach to the love triangle theme.
Celine Song Is Writing And Directing Materialists
Materialists will be Celine Song’s second feature-length effort as a writer and director, but her first as producer. As established, she made her feature-length debut as a writer and director with Past Lives, which she revealed to ABC News was actually inspired by a true experience in her own life.
Before becoming a filmmaker — an achievement met with various accolades, including Best Feature at the Gotham Awards and Best Director at the Independent Spirit Awards — the Korean-Canadian artist broke into show business as a playwright, penning two stage shows called Endlings and The Seagull on The Sims 4, which both showed at New York Theatre Workshop in 2020. The following year, she became a staff writer for the Amazon Prime original fantasy series, The Wheel of Time.
Materialists Is Said To Start Production In Spring 2024
Despite lacking an official release date for now, Materialists is gearing up to begin principal photography pretty soon. According to the Variety article above, the director and her team are planning to get the cameras rolling in May 2024.
Materialists Will Be Distributed In The U.S. By A24 And Internationally By Sony
As previously established, Materialists is under the A24 umbrella, but specifically in the U.S. Another Variety report from February states that Sony Pictures will be handling distribution for the film in the overseas market.
Following her remarkable debut, Celine Song is now one of the most buzzed about filmmakers in the business. Thus, Materialists is one of the most buzzed about projects in the pipeline.
