Los Angeles: Actor Dakota Johnson has revealed that she is preparing to make her feature directorial debut with a small-scale film that she describes as deeply personal and emotionally significant. The upcoming project will star Vanessa Burghardt, her co-star from the 2022 film Cha Cha Real Smooth.
Speaking at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Johnson confirmed to reporters that she is working toward directing a feature under her production company, TeaTime Pictures.
“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,” Johnson said. “We're making it with Vanessa Burghardt, who played my daughter in Cha Cha Real Smooth. She's an incredible autistic actress.”
The Materialists star admitted she has previously hesitated to take on a feature directorial role due to a lack of confidence. However, her connection with Burghardt has driven her to move forward with the project.
“I've always felt that I'm not ready to direct a feature. I don't have the confidence,” she said. “But with her, I feel very protective, and I know her very well, and I just won't let anybody else do it.”
Johnson, 35, is best known for her work in the Fifty Shades film franchise, as well as roles in Persuasion, Splitsville, and her most recent release, Materialists, which premiered on June 13 and features her alongside Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal. Her performance in the film, directed by Past Lives filmmaker Celine Song, has received positive critical attention.
In addition to acting, Johnson has experience behind the camera. She previously directed Coldplay’s music video Cry Cry Cry (2020) and a short film titled Loser Baby (2024).
As a producer, Johnson says she gravitates toward stories that are visually or emotionally provocative and often female-driven.
“Usually, it's something that is either visually or emotionally provocative. And I don't mean that in a sexual way,” she clarified. “I mean it in the sense that it provokes something — something different from what you see on TV right now or on streaming platforms.”
She further added, “A lot of them are also female characters. So it's female-centric films where the woman is different from what you usually see — complex, nuanced, and maybe even an anti-hero that you love.”
Johnson’s commitment to telling unique, emotionally resonant stories continues to shape her work both in front of and behind the camera, as she embarks on this new chapter in her filmmaking career.
With PTI inputs