Hollywood star Dakota Johnson is the daughter of actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, and she has been working in the entertainment industry for over a decade before her big breakthrough with the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. Over the years, Johnson starred in numerous blockbusters like The Social Network, 21 Jump Street, The Five-Year Engagement, and Bad Times at the El Royale.
Today, we're taking a closer look at a project that didn't turn out quite as the actress hoped it would. Keep on scrolling to find out just which movie set Dakota Johnson called 'psychotic'!
Which Movie Didn't Turn Out The Way Dakota Johnson Expected?
When she got cast as Anastasia Steele in the Fifty Shades of Grey movie trilogy, Dakota Johnson was just 23 years old. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the actress admitted that she originally thought the movies would be very different. "I signed up to do a very different version of the film we ended up making," Johnson said. "I was young. I was 23. So it was scary. It just became something crazy. There were a lot of different disagreements. I haven’t been able to talk about this truthfully ever, because you want to promote a movie the right way, and I’m proud of what we made ultimately and everything turns out the way it’s supposed to, but it was tricky."
The first movie in the franchise, Fifty Shades of Grey, was released in February 2015. The movie was based on E. L. James’ erotic novel of the same name which got released in 2011. The Fifty Shades trilogy was developed from a Twilight fan fiction series which was originally titled Master of the Universe. The second movie in the franchise, Fifty Shades Darker was released in February 2017 and the third movie Fifty Shades Freed was released in February 2018.
Johnson revealed that she didn't expect author E. L. James to be as involved. "She had a lot of creative control, all day, every day, and she just demanded that certain things happen." the actress admitted. "There were parts of the books that just wouldn’t work in a movie, like the inner monologue, which was at times incredibly cheesy. It wouldn’t work to say out loud. It was always a battle. Always. When I auditioned for that movie, I read a monologue from Persona" — the Ingmar Bergman classic from 1966 — "and I was like, 'Oh, this is going to be really special.'"
Dakota Johnson Says Filming The Fifty Shades Movies Was Psychotic
In the interview with Vanity Fair, Dakota Johnson was also asked whether she regretted doing the famous trilogy, to which she responded with "No. I don’t think it’s a matter of regret. If I had known… If I had known at the time that’s what it was going to be like, I don’t think anyone would’ve done it. It would’ve been like, ‘Oh, this is psychotic.’ But no, I don’t regret it."
The actress admitted that she is grateful for the role and the experience, even though it has been 'weird'. "Both Jamie and I were treated really well. Erika [E.L. James] is a very nice woman, and she was always kind to me and I am grateful she wanted me to be in those movies," Johnson said, adding, "Look, it was great for our careers. So amazing. So lucky. But it was weird. So, so weird."
When asked if her co-star Jamie Dornan who played Christian Grey was a reason why she didn't like being on set, the actress has nothing but nice things to say. "There was never a time when we didn’t get along. I know it’s weird, but he’s like a brother to me. I love him so, so, so much. And we were really there for each other. We had to really trust each other and protect each other," Johnson said. "We were doing the weirdest things for years, and we needed to be a team: 'We’re not doing that,' or 'You can’t do that camera angle.' Sam [Taylor-Johnson] didn’t come back to direct after the first movie, and, as a female, she had brought a softer perspective. James Foley came on to direct, and he’s an interesting man. It was different doing those bizarre things with a man behind the camera. Just a different energy. There are things that I still cannot say because I don’t want to hurt anyone’s career and I don’t want to damage anybody’s reputation, but both Jamie and I were treated really well."
However, Johnson did admit that she wasn't scared of accepting a role in an erotic movie. "I’m a sexual person, and when I’m interested in something, I want to know so much about it," she said. "That’s why I did those big naked movies."