At the Cannes Film Festival on May 19, Dakota Johnson confirmed that she will step behind the camera for her feature directing debut, working from a screenplay by Vanessa Burghardt—her on-screen daughter in 2022’s Cha Cha Real Smooth—about a young woman with autism.
During Kering’s Women in Motion talk, Johnson called the script “really special” and said she felt “very protective” of Burghardt and the story, adding that she “couldn’t allow anyone else to direct it.”
The project stems from TeaTime Pictures, the production banner Johnson launched to gain greater artistic input after several films premiered far from her expectations. She told attendees she craves “more conversation and creativity,” positioning the debut as a natural extension of TeaTime’s mission.
Although no schedule was given, Johnson brings recent experience: her 23-minute short Loser Baby screened in TIFF’s 2024 Short Cuts programme. She arrived at Cannes this year with Michael Angelo Covino’s relationship comedy Splitsville and will be on screens again June 13 in Celine Song’s Materialists.
Her move mirrors a festival trend that also saw Scarlett Johansson premiere Eleanor the Great, reinforcing industry interest in actor-driven storytelling from behind the lens. By partnering with Burghardt, Johnson signals that the next wave of performer-directors may be defined less by star wattage than by the voices they choose to elevate.
