Celine Song’s “Past Lives” was not only a Sundance sensation, but also went on to get Best Picture nominated at the Oscars. Whatever film Song did next was going to be met with a lot of anticipation, especially by critics, who wildly praised “Past Lives.”
Last fall, A24 hopped onboard Song’s next project. I had originally reported that her sophomore effort would be titled “Materialists.” The film, which started production on April 29, has already wrapped filming in New York City — it amounted to just a five week shoot.
The film stars Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal (him again) and Chris Evans. It’s not clear if A24 will opt to debut this one at Sundance next January, or if they’d rather wait for the 2025 fall festivals.
In a recent interview with GQ, Song and producer Christine Vachon were very hush-hush about what “Materialists” was about, stingy with details, but Vachon did point out that it would be a very different film to “Past Lives.”
“It feels like she makes a different movie every time, that she’s going to be the kind of a filmmaker who doesn’t make the same movie twice.”
There’s no need to leave this a mystery. If you regularly read this site then you already know what “Materialists” is about, and it couldn’t be further connected to “Past Lives.” Vachon is right, Song is making a totally different film.
It turns out that “Materialists” is a romcom inspired by James L. Brooks’s whip-smart films from the ‘80s (“Broadcast News,” “Terms of Endearment”). A formula that hasn’t aged that well in the 21st century. Here’s the synopsis:
Set against the vibrant backdrop of New York City, a city that never sleeps and is known for its diverse and dynamic relationships, “Materialists” provides a unique glimpse into the lives of the city’s elite. Lucy’s expertise in matchmaking is highly sought after by those willing to pay a premium for her services. However, the film hints at complications that arise, leading to a toxic love triangle that threatens to unravel the lives of all involved.
This is a fairly risky move on the part of Song, going from “Past Lives” to what sounds like pure romcom territory, but maybe it’ll work?
The short version: "Woman Unknown" was a compromise. The jury deadlocked over "Possible Love" and "NAZA," not able to com to terms, fell back on their #3, May el-Toukhy's film.