Dakota Johnson Sets Her Sights on Directing and Action Films: 'I Want to Play a Psychopath'

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Dakota Johnson Sets Her Sights on Directing and Action Films: 'I Want to Play a Psychopath' originally appeared on Parade.

Dakota Johnson made headlines at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival when she revealed that she’s ready to direct her first feature film under her production company, TeaTime.

The Madame Web star, 35, revealed during a media roundtable on July 6 that she’s close to finalizing the project, describing it as “very close to her heart.”

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Johnson — the granddaughter of Hollywood legend Tippi Hedren and daughter of actors Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson — will collaborate with Cha Cha Real Smooth co-star Vanessa Burghardt, whom she described as “an incredible autistic actress” and someone she “feels very protective” of.

“I’ve always felt that I’m not ready to direct a feature. I don’t have the confidence. But with her, I feel very protective, and I know her very well,” Johnson said. “I just won’t let anybody else do it.”

The announcement comes as Johnson sees a renewed wave of public interest for her upcoming role in the Colleen Hoover adaptation Verity as well as her outspoken views on healthy creative work environments and how a film's success should be measured.

"I think that the barometer for that is shifting right now," she said at the roundtable. "It’s hard to measure success based on box office numbers now because it’s so all over the place."

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She added: "[Jurassic World Rebirth] slayed, and of course, they knew that it was going to do really well, but it did so well. I feel so excited that people are going to the movie theater. Even Materialists did so well for a tiny little movie, and that’s really, really exciting."

When it comes to future roles, Johnson made her aspirations clear.

“There are roles that I dream of playing,” she shared. “I would love to play a psychopath, [I] would love to do an action film.”

Whatever comes next, one thing is certain: Dakota Johnson is carving her own path on her own terms.

Dakota Johnson Sets Her Sights on Directing and Action Films: 'I Want to Play a Psychopath' first appeared on Parade on Jul 7, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.