Who says Happily Ever After only happens in the movies? Director Celine Song’s romantic comedy “Materialists” has surpassed a major box office milestone, crossing $100 million in global ticket sales. It’s the first independent movie in 2025 to reach that box office benchmark.
So far, the film has grossed $36.5 million domestically and a sizable $64.8 million overseas for a worldwide tally of $101.3 million. A24 backed the $20 million-budgeted “Materialists,” which was produced by Killer Films and released internationally by Sony. The film, led by three movie stars in Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans, follows a New York City matchmaker who finds herself in a love triangle with a wealthy suitor and her ex boyfriend.
“Materialists” opened in mid-June to $12 million, the third-biggest domestic debut for A24 following “Civil War” ($25.5 million) and “Hereditary” ($13.5 million). Part of the success was because A24 positioned the movie as a star-driven romantic comedy of yesteryear rather than typical indie fare. And its summer release date worked as counter-programming against big-budget blockbusters like Universal’s live-action “How to Train Your Dragon,” Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” remake and Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.”
The movie then managed to stick around beyond its opening weekend by becoming a water cooler topic. “Materialists” inspired a lot of online chatter — mostly about the reality of livable wages in the Big Apple and the ethics of transactional dating — which helped in terms of staying power in North America and overseas.
“Materialists” is only the third film from A24 to ever cross the $100 million benchmark, following 2022’s Oscar best picture winner “Everything Everywhere All at Once” ($142 million) and 2024’s dystopian thriller “Civil War” ($127 million). So far in 2025, the independent studio has endured a rocky stretch at the box office with highs like “Bring Her Back” ($39 million) and lows such as Ari Aster’s “Eddington” ($12.6 million against a $25 million budget) and “The Legend of Ochi” ($4.8 million).
Song’s first film, 2023’s love-triangle drama “Past Lives,” earned a strong $42 million globally in addition to two Oscar nominations. In keeping with the them of romance, Song’s next project is writing a sequel to 1997’s Julia Roberts-led favorite “My Best Friend’s Wedding.”