Dakota Johnson Is Finally Directing Her First Feature-Length Movie With 'Cha Cha Real Smooth' Creator!
In 2022, Dakota Johnson starred alongside Vanessa Burghardt in the rom-com Cha Cha Real Smooth, playing a young mother to a teenage daughter on the autism spectrum. Now, the pair plans to work together again, with Dakota stepping behind the camera this time.
The announcement came at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Dakota, who co-owns TeaTime Pictures, began discussing her production company's upcoming projects and revealed how she intends to direct her first feature, which was written by Vanessa.
"The girl who plays my daughter [in Cha Cha Real Smooth], Vanessa Burghardt, she is an autistic actress and musician and brilliant person, and we have been working with her on developing a script," she said at the Kering Women in Motion event. (via Deadline)
"She's written a script, and it's really special, and it's about a young woman with autism. I feel very protective of her and her story in her mind; she's just an unbelievable woman. I just don't think I could allow anyone else to direct it. So we'll see."
Dakota and former Netflix development executive Ro Donelly launched TeaTime Pictures in 2019. During the Kering's Women in Motion conversation, she spoke alongside Ro and said she wants to "make my own movies because I want more from this industry."
"I want more from my experience as an artist. I felt so thirsty for more conversation and more creativity and more collaboration," she added.
Loser Baby marked Dakota's first directorial short, but following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, the work wasn't picked up as a TV show. The short film, set in Los Angeles, centered around queer friends, exploring their relationships, friendships, and personal identities. According to , Dakota expressed frustration that "nobody" wanted to make it.
"And I was like, 'Why? That's such a global conversation, and it should be talked about all the time,' but whatever. So it was a proof of concept that just is sitting there, proofing," she stated.
Dakota is currently at Cannes to promote Splitsville, a rom-com she co-produced and stars in. She plays a woman named Julie, who's in an open relationship and helps her male friend get over a breakup. Other cast members include Adria Arjona and Michael Angelo Covino. Splitsville made its debut at the festival on May 19.
It remains to be seen if and when Dakota will actually begin production for Vanessa Burghardt's script. In the meantime, you can look forward to seeing the actress in various works.
First, her romantic drama, Materialists, is set to come out on June 13. Dakota depicts a young New York City matchmaker who is torn between her ex, portrayed by Chris Evans, and a new match, played by Pedro Pascal. Then, she is going to star in Verity, directed by Michael Showalter. The highly anticipated film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's hit book isn't expected to premiere until 2026.
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