Materialists, the latest romantic drama featuring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal, has had a mixed start at the box office despite its star-studded cast and modest production budget.
Directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Celine Song, the film was released on 13 June and centres around a complicated love triangle, with Dakota Johnson playing a young and ambitious matchmaker caught between her seemingly perfect match and a flawed ex.
The film opened to critical praise, earning an 81 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics described Materialists as offering a thoughtful and mature twist on the classic romantic comedy formula.
They also hailed it as one of the best performances to date for its three leads, particularly highlighting Celine Song’s continued strength in exploring modern relationships.
However, general audiences have been less enthusiastic, giving it a 68 percent rating. Many viewers felt the story unfolded too slowly and leaned more towards drama than comedy, although the performances by Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal have been widely appreciated.
At the box office, Materialists has seen steady but unspectacular numbers. It earned $11.33 million in its opening weekend in North America, and by its first Thursday, the domestic total had climbed to $18.1 million.
International markets contributed an additional $3.7 million, bringing the film’s worldwide total to $21.8 million within its first seven days. While these numbers are modest, they have already helped the film recoup its $20 million production budget not including marketing costs just ahead of its second weekend.
Materialists has now made 8.5 percent more than its budget, but with an estimated break-even point of $50 million, there’s still a long way to go before it can be considered a box office success.
Its performance in the coming weeks will be crucial. With no other major romantic comedies currently in cinemas, the film could still build momentum, provided it manages to attract stronger word-of-mouth. The romantic triangle involving Pedro Pascal, Chris Evans and Dakota Johnson has drawn attention, but not yet the wide audience the studio may have hoped for.
Whether Materialists becomes a sleeper hit or fades into the background remains to be seenbut for now, its modest budget has helped it avoid being labelled a flop.