What is Materialist? Everything we know so far about Celine Song’s upcoming film

Over the past few months, several details have been released about Celine Song’s upcoming film, “Materialists.” One of A24’s latest releases, “Materialists” was originally titled “The Materialists.” Although some may know A24 for its horror films, the studio has gradually expanded its genre scope since its founding in 2012. The studio has received 62 nominations and won 18 awards since the 96th Academy Awards, making it a great destination for filmmakers.

A brief synopsis and updates on filming were released, along with a lengthy cast list, though character names are still unknown. It took until early 2024 for news on the film to arrive, and there were few major updates between then and the completion of filming. Materialists is Céline Song’s second feature film debut, following the acclaimed Past Lives, and based on the cast list and story details, expectations are high.

Filming for Materialists has been completed

Filming on Materialists began on April 29, 2024, according to ScreenRant. One of the film’s stars, Pedro Pascal, posted an Instagram post on June 7, 2024 with the caption “Moon me. #Materialists #NewYorkCity #CelineSong That’s it.”

The film was confirmed on February 7, 2024. Song is set to direct and Past Lives producers Christine Vachon, Pam Koffler and David Hinojosa are set to produce, Deadline reports. They also reported that the title was originally The Materialists, but was changed to Materialists on February 18, 2024. In the words of The Social Network’s Sean Parker, “Drop the ‘The.’ Just Materialists. That’s cleaner.”

The film features three Hollywood stars

Along with the initial film announcement, three members of the main cast of Materialists were also announced. In February, Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal were confirmed for the film. In May 2024, Variety reported that Zoë Winters, Dasha Nekrasova, Louisa Jacobson, and Marin Ireland would also appear in the film. No character names have been announced, nor has it been revealed who the cast will be playing.

Materialists is Céline Song’s second directorial effort after Past Lives, which was nominated for two Oscars at the 96th Academy Awards. Past Lives follows two childhood friends as they reflect on their relationship over the past 24 years. The Korean director was a star with her previous film, Past Lives, but her follow-up seems to offer a very different experience.

In a December 2023 interview with GQ, Past Lives producer Christine Vachon said of Song’s upcoming film, “It feels like she’s making a different film each time, like she’s a filmmaker who doesn’t do the same thing twice.”

Only the first announcement in February reportedly provided any information about the story. Materialists stars a matchmaker, her ex-boyfriend, and a wealthy businessman in a romantic comedy set in New York City. It’s another romance from Song, but it seems lighter than Past Lives. There’s no word on who is the ex-boyfriend and who is the businessman between Pascal and Evans, but Johnson will likely play the role of the matchmaker.