

Materialists Budget
Updated
Synopsis
An ambitious young New York City matchmaker finds herself torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex.
What is the budget of Materialists?
"Materialists," a romance released in 2025, was directed by Celine Song and stars Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans. The production budget was $20,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for romance productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a romance production like this include:
- Lead Cast Compensation: Romantic films depend entirely on the chemistry and appeal of their leads, making star casting decisions the most consequential budget item.
- Location Filming: Picturesque, often international locations are central to the romantic genre's visual appeal.
- Music Supervision & Soundtrack: Iconic songs can cost $250,000 to 500,000 to license per use, and a well-curated soundtrack is often as important to marketing as the trailer itself.
What were the major cost factors in Materialists?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Materialists."
- Lead Cast Compensation: Lead Cast Compensation is one of the primary cost drivers in romance productions of this scale.
- Location Filming: Location Filming is one of the primary cost drivers in romance productions of this scale.
- Music Supervision: Music Supervision & Soundtrack is one of the primary cost drivers in romance productions of this scale.
How Does Materialists's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $20,000,000, Materialists sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- 12 Years a Slave (2013): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $187,000,000
- 21 Grams (2003): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $60,427,839
- 3 Ninjas Kick Back (1994): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $11,798,854
- A Guy Thing (2003): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $17,400,000
- A Most Violent Year (2014): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $12,007,070
The median budget for wide-release romance films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Materialists Box Office Performance
"Materialists" earned $36,521,973 domestically and $106,436,908 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $20,000,000, the film performed strongly at the box office.
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Materialists," that break-even threshold was roughly $40,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $106,436,908, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $20,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $106,436,908
- Net Return: $86,436,908
- ROI: approximately 432.2%
At 432.2%, "Materialists" earned roughly $5.32 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
1 win & 9 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Materialists (2025)?
The production budget was $20,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $10,000,000 - $16,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $30,000,000 - $36,000,000.
How much did Materialists (2025) earn at the box office?
Materialists grossed $36,521,973 domestic, $69,914,935 international, totaling $106,436,908 worldwide.
Was Materialists (2025) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $20,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$50,000,000, the film earned $106,436,908 theatrically - a 432% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing Materialists?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal); lead talent, aspirational location filming, and a carefully curated soundtrack; international production across United States of America, Finland.
How does Materialists's budget compare to similar romance films?
At $20,000,000, Materialists is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release romance films in the 2020s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: 12 Years a Slave (2013, $20,000,000); 21 Grams (2003, $20,000,000); 3 Ninjas Kick Back (1994, $20,000,000).
Did Materialists (2025) go over budget?
There are no widely reported accounts of significant budget overruns for this production. However, studios rarely disclose precise budget overrun figures publicly. The reported production budget reflects the final estimated cost.
What was the return on investment (ROI) for Materialists?
The theatrical ROI was 432.2%, calculated as ($106,436,908 − $20,000,000) ÷ $20,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Materialists (2025) win?
1 win & 9 nominations total.
Who directed Materialists and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Celine Song, written by Celine Song, shot by Shabier Kirchner, with music by Daniel Pemberton, edited by Keith Fraase.
Where was Materialists filmed?
Materialists was filmed in United States of America, Finland. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Materialists
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