She’s Producing, She’s Directing — But Wait Until You Hear the Role Dakota Johnson Wants

Dakota Johnson is no stranger to reinventing herself, but her latest pivot might be her boldest yet. While attending the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival to receive the festival’s President’s Award, the Madame Web star revealed that she’s preparing to make her directorial feature debut — a project she calls "very close to her heart."

The film is inspired by her work with actress Vanessa Burghardt, her Cha Cha Real Smooth co-star, whom Johnson warmly describes as "an incredible autistic actress." It’s the kind of deeply personal project she says she wouldn’t trust anyone else to direct:

"I don’t have the confidence," she admits, "but I feel very protective of her… so I just won’t let anybody else do it."

That blend of vulnerability and control seems to define Johnson’s current phase. In addition to acting and producing — Materialists and Splitsville are her latest entries — she’s also become more vocal about the environments she chooses to work in. "I can’t waste time on toxic sets anymore," she says firmly, pointing out that she now builds teams where respect and collaboration come first.

"I get to put amazing people together and make something," she explains. "We’re artists. There’s room for expansive personalities. But we all know what a toxic set is by now."

As for what kind of roles still excite her? That’s where things get unexpectedly fun. "I’d love to play a psychopath," she says with a grin. "And I’d love to do an action film." It’s not what you’d expect from someone often cast in more grounded or romantic roles — but maybe that’s exactly the point. "I’m open to anything," she adds, "Certain things just have to align."

And while she just wrapped Verity, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s thriller alongside Josh Hartnett and Anne Hathaway, Johnson is keeping her cards close on what comes next. "There’s something very exciting in the works," she teases. So, yes — directing, producing, boundary-setting… and maybe, just maybe, a truly twisted role on the horizon.