Chris Evans is making his return to romantic comedies with The Materialists — and he’s vying for Dakota Johnson’s heart.
A24 dropped the first trailer for the upcoming film on Tuesday, March 18, which follows 20-something Lucy (Johnson) as she dominates the New York CIty matchmaking industry. After celebrating nearly 10 successful marriages under her guidance, love finally seems to come her way when she runs into a mysterious businessman (Pedro Pascal) at a wedding. Things get more complicated, however, when she realizes their server is her old ex-boyfriend John (Evans).
As Lucy allows herself to be wined, dined and consumed by the suave of Pascal’s wealthy charm — “You are what we call a unicorn, an impossible fantasy,” she tells him as he takes her to bed one night — John questions her intentions.
“You’re not going to marry him, are you?” John asks Lucy. “Cause he’s good looking and rich, and probably doesn’t have roommates?” He continues to pour his heart out, telling her, “When I look at you, I see wrinkles and kids that look like you. So, where does that leave us?”
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As Lucy’s heart gets torn in two opposite directions, her career also begins to spiral as she questions her purpose. “I don’t think I’m very good at my job anymore,” she says. “We promised them love, but the math doesn’t add up.”
When John asks her why anyone “even gets married,” she confesses, “Because they’re lonely.” She then adds, “And because they’re hopeful.”
Celine Song directed, wrote and produced the movie, which hits theaters on June 13. Her 2023 romantic drama and feature film debut, Past Lives, was nominated for Best Picture and Best Original screenplay. David Hinojosa of 2AM and Killer Films produce.
“I didn’t know I knew how to make a movie until I was doing it,” Song told The Hollywood Reporter in 2023 of how it felt making her first movie. “And then once I was doing it, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to do this until I die.’”
Pascal, meanwhile, told GQ in a May 2024 interview that he and Song became “fast friends” before he even signed on for The Materialists, calling Past Lives one of his favorite films.
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“It really came down to it being, anything that she may or may not want me to do, I’d be willing to do it as an artist and as a friend,” he said. “Working with that caliber of talent is the goal ultimately, and so I’m the lucky one for sure.”
The Materialists hits theaters nationwide on June 13.
