Dakota Johnson steps into the sharply tailored shoes of Lucy, a New York City matchmaker who excels at pairing others but stumbles when it comes to her own heart, in Celine Song’s eagerly anticipated follow-up to her Academy Award-nominated debut. Materialists, opening in Philippine cinemas on August 6, mines the complexities of modern romance through the lens of a woman who treats love like a science—until life throws her calculations into disarray.
For Song, the film draws from her own unexpected stint as a matchmaker in New York, a chapter that left her fascinated by the contradictions of dating culture. “Lucy is someone who understands the mechanics of attraction but remains mystified by love itself,” Song explains. “She’s brilliant at the math—the right ratios, the perfect algorithms for compatibility—but when it comes to her own emotions, she’s adrift.” That tension resonated deeply with Johnson, who was immediately drawn to the role after her first meeting with the director. “There was something so alive in how Celine described Lucy—this woman who’s both fiercely capable and quietly lost,” Johnson recalls. “I walked away knowing I had to play her.”
In the film, Lucy’s professional precision collides with personal chaos when she finds herself torn between an idealized match and a messy, unresolved past. Johnson relished the challenge of portraying Lucy’s shifting personas—the polished matchmaker, the guarded ex, the woman tentatively reaching for something real. “She’s a chameleon,” Johnson observes. “With each person, she reflects back what they need, and you’re left wondering: Which version is the real Lucy? That ambiguity is what makes her so thrilling to embody.”
Song praises Johnson’s ability to balance Lucy’s razor-sharp wit with her undercurrent of vulnerability, a duality the director attributes to the actress’s own experiences in the public eye. “Dakota understands what it means to be perceived, to be objectified, to wear armor while secretly hoping someone might see past it,” Song says. That depth elevates Materialists beyond a conventional romantic comedy, transforming it into a poignant exploration of self-deception and the courage required to embrace imperfect love.
Audiences can glimpse Lucy’s world in the newly released “First Look” featurette, which teases the film’s blend of sparkling chemistry and emotional heft. As Lucy navigates a whirlwind of chance encounters and romantic near-misses, Johnson ensures her journey feels as relatable as it is revelatory—a reminder that even the most expert matchmaker might need to rewrite her own rules for happiness.
Materialists arrives in Philippine cinemas on August 6, promising a film as clever, layered, and unexpectedly tender as the woman at its center.
Photo & Video Credit: Columbia Pictures
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