After ‘Past Lives,’ Celine Song is set to direct the upcoming rom-com titled ‘Materialists,’ which could star Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans, according to Variety. The A-listers would be in negotiations to join the project, which will be Song’s second feature.
Song, who before ‘Past Lives’ was a renowned playwright, will team up again with A24, as well as Killer Films and 2AM. According to the outlet, the studio and distributor is aiming for a launch at the European Film Market in Berlin.
Her second film will be a romantic comedy set in New York which follows a high-end matchmaker who gets involved with a wealthy man. The outlet also states that the movie could start production in May.
Past Lives competes for two Oscars
Since its premiere at 2023 Sundance, ‘Past Lives’ has become one of the most-talked about films of the past year. Starring Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Margaro, the movie centers around writer Nora, who after moving to the United States, she connects with her childhood sweetheart from Korea.
In an interview with several outlets, Song said she thinks that many people resonate with the film because it is about “ordinary lives [that] have many kinds of time, I think,” according to Korea JongAng Daily.
After receiving five Golden Globes nominations, the film is competing for two Oscars at the upcoming Academy Awards. Song was nominated for Best Original Screenplay, and the film is competing for Best Picture. It’s one of the three, alongside Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall, to compete in the main category.
It also garnered three BAFTA Film Awards nominations: for Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Not in the English Language. Additionally, the film has surpassed $20 million in global box office earnings.
