Several details about the upcoming Celine Song film Materialists have been released over the past few months. One of A24’s latest releases, Materialists was originally titled The Materialists. Although some may be familiar with A24 for its horror movies, the studio has gradually expanded its range of genres since it was founded in 2012. The studio has earned 62 nominations and won 18 awards as of the 96th Academy Awards, making it a great destination for filmmakers.

A short synopsis and updates on filming have been released, along with a lengthy cast list, though the names of the characters are still unknown. It took until early 2024 for news of the film to start arriving, and only a few major updates came between then and the completion of filming. After the acclaimed Past Lives, Materialists is Celine Song’s second feature film debut, and based on the cast list and story details, expectations are high.

The filming of Materialists is complete

Filming on Materialists began on April 29, 2024, per ScreenRant. One of the movie’s stars, Pedro Pascal, posted an Instagram on June 7, 2024, with the caption, “Moon me. #Materialists #NewYorkCity #CelineSong That’s a wrap.”

The film was confirmed on February 7, 2024, with Song attached to direct and Past Lives producers Christine Vachon, Pam Koffler, and David Hinojosa attached to produce, as per reports from Deadline. 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. It’s cleaner.”

The film features three Hollywood A-listers

Along with the initial movie announcement, three members of the main cast of Materialists were revealed. In February, Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal were all 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 revealed, nor has it been revealed who the cast members will play.

Materialists is Celine Song’s second directorial effort following Past Lives, which was nominated for two Academy Awards at the 96th ceremony. Past Lives follows two childhood friends as they contemplate their relationship over the past 24 years. In her previous film, Past Lives, the Korean director was a breakout star but her follow-up looks to be a very different experience.

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

Only the initial February announcement provided information about the story, as per reports. In Materialists, a matchmaker, her ex-boyfriend, and a wealthy businessman are featured in a romantic comedy set in New York City. It’s another romance from Song, but it appears to be lighter than Past Lives. There is no word on who the ex-boyfriend is and who the businessman is between Pascal and Evans, but Johnson will likely play the role of the matchmaker.