While this will be her first full-length film, Johnson is no stranger to directing. She previously helmed Coldplay’s music video “Cry Cry Cry” and the short film ‘Loser Baby’.
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Actor and producer Dakota Johnson is stepping behind the camera for her first full-length feature film, and it’s a project that holds deep personal meaning for her.
Known for her breakout role in ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ and performances in films like ‘The Lost Daughter’ and ‘How to Be Single’, Johnson is now ready to try her hand at directing a small but emotionally powerful film, in collaboration with Vanessa Burghardt, the autistic actress who played her daughter in ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’.
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In a recent conversation with ‘The Hollywood Reporter’, Dakota Johnson shared, “I think I will direct a feature, a very small one, hopefully soon. And it’s really close to my heart and very close to TeaTime,” referring to her production company TeaTime Pictures. “We’re making it with Vanessa Burghardt… She’s an incredible autistic actress.”
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She said she’s always felt unsure about directing a feature. “I’ve always felt that I’m not ready… I don’t have the confidence. But with her, I feel very protective… and I just won’t let anybody else do it.”
While this will be her first full-length film, Johnson is no stranger to directing. She previously helmed Coldplay’s music video “Cry Cry Cry” and the short film ‘Loser Baby’.
With this upcoming feature, she hopes to continue building a creative space that values empathy, authenticity, and storytelling that feels honest and grounded.
A big part of that vision comes through TeaTime Pictures, a company Johnson co-founded to tell offbeat, emotionally resonant stories, especially ones with strong, complex female characters.
When asked what draws her to certain stories, she explained, “It’s something that’s either visually or emotionally provocative… I mean that it provokes something different from what you see on TV or streaming right now.”
She’s especially drawn to female-led narratives, characters who break the mold. “It’s female-centric films where the woman is different from what you usually see; complex, nuanced, maybe even an anti-hero you still root for.”
Johnson also opened up about wanting to move away from chaotic or unhealthy working environments. “I can’t waste time on toxic sets anymore,” she said. As a producer, she now has the freedom to shape her projects and choose the teams she works with. “Now, being a producer and developing my own films, I can choose all the people.”
She acknowledged the challenges of making movies in today’s landscape. With streaming platforms and shifting viewer habits, traditional measures of success like box office numbers no longer tell the full story. “The barometer for success is changing… It’s hard to measure things the same way now.”
Despite these hurdles, Johnson remains passionate about the role films play in our lives. “I don’t think movies will save the world… but I do think it’s nice to have them around.”
Dakota Johnson has had a long and varied career, beginning with her film debut at age 10 in ‘Crazy in Alabama’, directed by her stepfather Antonio Banderas. She gained wider recognition in ‘The Social Network’ and has since gone on to build a diverse filmography.
Her more recent credits include ‘The Lost Daughter’ (directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal) and ‘Persuasion’ (2022). She’ll next be seen in ‘Verity’, a thriller for Amazon directed by Michael Showalter and co-starring Anne Hathaway and Josh Hartnett.
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