Dakota Johnson To Make Directorial Debut With Film By Autistic Actress Vanessa Burghardt

Dakota Johnson is stepping into a bold new role; a director. While attending the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, the Materialists star opened up about a deeply personal project she’s bringing to life through her production company, TeaTime Pictures. 

In a candid conversation at Kering’s Women in Motion event, Dakota shared that she’s preparing to direct a feature film written by none other than Vanessa Burghardt, the talented autistic actress and musician she previously worked with on Cha Cha Real Smooth.

Vanessa, who played Dakota’s daughter in the 2022 indie hit, has penned a story about a young woman with autism — one that Dakota feels deeply connected to. “She’s written a script, and it’s really special,” Dakota said, “and it’s about a young woman with autism.”

The upcoming film will mark Dakota’s directorial debut, and for her, this moment isn’t just about checking off a new career milestone, but about telling a story that matters. Speaking with her producing partner Ro Donnelly, Dakota added with her signature wit, “I want to direct, and I need to grow the f—— balls to do it… Actually, no I don’t. I’m not going to grow balls and no one can make me.”

Dakota’s passion for filmmaking is nothing new. She founded TeaTime Pictures with the intention of shaking things up. “I want more from this industry,” she said. “I want more from my experience as an artist. I felt so thirsty for more conversation, more creativity, more collaboration.” She recalled how strange it felt to show up to a film premiere only to realize, “Woah. That is not what I thought we were making.”

That hunger for authenticity is what’s fueling her current wave of projects. At Cannes, Dakota premiered her latest film Splitsville, where she stars alongside Adria Arjona and Nicholas Braun. Although the film doesn’t have a release date yet, buzz is already building. And the work doesn’t stop there. On June 13, her romantic drama Materialists, featuring Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal, hits theaters. She’s also set to star in the highly anticipated adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s Verity, slated for release in 2026.