Remember 2019’s “The Climb,” the sole American film in the Un Certain Regard section and a breakout title that year? Well, its director and co-writer, Michael Angelo Covino, finally has a new movie on the way called “Splitsville.” Moreover, it boasts a terrific cast that features Covino, Dakota Johnson (“Daddio”), Adria Arjona (“Andor,” “Hitman”), and Kyle Marvin, the co-writer and co-star of “The Climb” (read our review here; check out our interview with Covino and Marvin here).

Continue reading ‘Splitsville’: Dakota Johnson & Adria Arjona Join ‘The Climb’ Director’s New Film at The Playlist.

Dakota Johnson has had a tough 2024. The actress stars in “Madame Web,” which might go down as one of the worst films of the year. Hell, the publicity tour was far more entertaining than the actual film. But coming next month is a film that might serve as a bit of a palate cleanser, “Am I Ok?”

READ MORE: ‘AM I OK?’ Review: Dakota Johnson & Sonoya Mizuno Find True Love In A Heartwarming Coming Out Tale [Sundance]

As seen in the trailer for “Am I Ok?” the film tells the story of a 30-something woman who is terrible at finding love.

Continue reading ‘Am I Ok?’ Trailer: Dakota Johnson & Sonoya Mizuno Star In New Comedy From Tig Notaro & Stephanie Allyne at The Playlist.

Dakota Johnson (“The Lost Daughter”) and Sean Penn (“Mystic River”) are set to star in the upcoming single-setting drama “Daddio,” written and directed by Christy Hall in her feature-length directorial debut. The new cab ride film envisioned initially as a stage play, will hit the big screen on June 28, and Sony Pictures Classics has released a trailer for “Daddio,” giving audiences a better idea of what to expect from the pic that previously debuted at Telluride Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival last year.

Continue reading ‘Daddio’ Trailer: Dakota Johnson & Sean Penn Star In New Drama Coming June 28 at The Playlist.

To the surprise of no one (at least no one familiar with “Morbius“), “Madame Web” was a box office bomb and the first cinematic laughingstock of 2024. Not a great start of the year for Sony, who has two other spinoffs in its “Spider-verse” hitting theaters this year: “Kraven The Hunter” on August 30 and the newly titled “Venom: The Last Dance” on October 25.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’: Sydney Sweeney Remains Unphased; “I Was Just Hired As An Actress” at The Playlist.

Following the disastrous showing of Sony‘s “Spider-Man” spin-off “Madame Web” and the huge blowback from both audiences and critics who all seemingly despised the film, Dakota Johnson says she’ll “probably will never do anything like it again.” Meaning: appear or star in a superhero film. In a new interview with Bustle, Johnson expressed her overall disappointment with the film but admitted she wasn’t surprised with the outcome.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’: Dakota Johnson Talks Brutal Backlash & Is “Heartbroken” How Streamers Don’t Support Creatives at The Playlist.

Premiering at the Telluride Film Festival last year, “Daddio” seemingly came out of nowhere with a starry cast and a minimalist logline. Starring Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn, the film is essentially just a two-hander set in a taxi cab, where a driver (Penn) and the rider (Johnson) basically strike up a long and provocative conversation about life, politics, and their outlooks on the world.

Continue reading ‘Daddio’ Teaser Trailer: Dakota Johnson & Sean Penn Face Off In A Taxi Cab at The Playlist.

In the wake of the dreadful “Madame Web” flop, the central question everyone seems to be asking themselves when it comes to Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSMU) is, what the hell is going on over there at that studio? (several post-mortems from Puck and THR are withering in their assessment of the SSMU, and Sony is definitely taking it in the teeth today) While Sony’s superhero movies have flourished when they are Marvel co-productions, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” grossing almost $2 billion during the 2021 pandemic, and the “Spider-Verse” are big critical and commercial hits under Christopher Lord and Phil Miller, everything else appears to be a wash of late.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’ Flops, Franchise Plans Scrapped & How It Damages The Ailing Superhero Genre at The Playlist.

As many predicted, “Madame Web” is a terrible movie, but let’s not say the same for Dakota Johnson‘s recent press tour for Sony‘s “Spider-Verse” spinoff. The actress has been publicity gold the past few weeks discussing the film. She’s been candid about the movie script’s “drastic changes” before production started, the “absolutely psychotic” experience of shooting scenes in front of so much blue screen, and the generally dismal outlook she has about creativity in Hollywood thanks to the rise of streamers.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’: Dakota Johnson Says She’s Up For Sequels But Still Hasn’t Seen The Film at The Playlist.

Today is Valentine’s Day, and that means only one thing— “Madame Web” is in theaters. And as the next several days play out, Sony is going to look at a couple of things. First, the box office, obviously. The forecast isn’t great on that one. But secondly, you have to imagine the people at Sony will be thinking about 15%. That’s the number “Morbius” reached on Rotten Tomatoes, turning the film into the laughing stock of the superhero film world for a full year.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’: Dakota Johnson Says The Script Had “Drastic Changes” Before Production Began at The Playlist.

Here’s the thing. No one wants “Madame Web” to be bad. This critic is certainly not rooting for it to fail. I would love to write a surprisingly glowing review on a movie centered on a pretty obscure character not only in the Marvel comic book universe but in the slightly smaller ‘Spider-Man‘ comic book universe. That director S.J. Clarkson and the other four writers with a story or screenwriting credit found a way to make the origin story of Cassandra “Cassie” Web a thrilling and maybe even funny 116 minutes at your local movie theater.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’ Review: Dakota Johnson Can’t Save This Forgettable ‘Spider’ Money Grab at The Playlist.

Well, Dakota Johnson is certainly making her voice heard on her “Madame Web” press tour. The latest from the actress? Variety reports that Johnson sounded off about the current Hollywood climate in a new interview with L’Officiel, diagnosing the industry as “really f*cking bleak” and rife with streaming platforms run by people “afraid” to take creative risks. I mean, she’s not wrong, but let’s hear her comments in entirety first.

Continue reading Dakota Johnson Talks How “F*cking Bleak” & ” Disheartening” It Is That “Afraid” Streamers Continue To Make “Safe” & “Boring” Content at The Playlist.

While “Past Lives” got nominated for Best Picture and Best Screenplay, there were many who were hoping to see even more love given to Celine Song’s breakout drama. Even still, you can’t help but applaud the young director for her incredible debut feature. Thankfully, it looks like she’s not resting on her laurels and is ready to get the ball rolling on another feature this year, “The Materialists.” And guess what?

Continue reading ‘The Materialists’: Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans & Pedro Pascal Eyed For Celine Song’s New A24 Drama at The Playlist.

OK, no one really knows what’s up with Sony’s Spider-Man spinoff movie, “Madame Web,” at least whether it’s good or not. Still, journalist Drew McWeeny’s tweet this weekend, “I have never seen a more defeated press tour than MADAME WEB. Everyone looks like they’re pre-emptively apologizing,” is at least super amusing and perhaps what many of us have been thinking.

It’s almost certainly a reference to this half-hearted quote; the movie’s start, Dakota Johnson, recently gave Entertainment Weekly about the film.

Continue reading Dakota Johnson Says All ‘Madame Web’ Blue Screen Was “Absolutely Psychotic” But Trusts Directors at The Playlist.

While there seems to be a big debate raging this year about superhero fatigue and the decline of Marvel Studios, Sony has quite a few new superhero films ready to go over the next year or so. You have to imagine the studio is desperately hoping superhero fatigue will take a break in 2024. We’ve already seen the trailer for “Kraven the Hunter,” and now, we have yet another Sony superhero film, “Madame Web.”

READ MORE: ‘El Muerto’: Bad Bunny Is No Longer Attached To Sony’s ‘Spider-Man’ Spinoff Film

There’s been a lot of discussion about “Madame Web” during the film’s production.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’ Trailer: Dakota Johnson Leads Sony’s Latest Spidey Spinoff Coming Feb 2024 at The Playlist.

Famed sex researcher Shere Hite’s 1976 best-selling book “The Hite Report” was a pioneering study of women’s sexuality that sold millions and liberated the idea of the female orgasm. But, in what doesn’t seem like much of a surprise considering today’s political climate—and to that end, how little has changed— the book triggered a ferocious backlash, especially from the political right and establishment in America. Hite then basically vanished, retreating from the public eye altogether.

Continue reading ‘The Disappearance of Shere Hite’ Trailer: Dakota Johnson Narrates The Story Of A Feminist Legend’s Retreat & Erasure at The Playlist.

The high-concept elevator pitch description for Christy Hall’s “Daddio” would probably be something along the lines of “‘Locke’ as a two-hander,” or maybe “‘Collateral’ without the killing,” though it’s better than either of those loglines might lead you to believe. The premise is a simple one: Dakota Johnson (never named on-camera) plays a young woman coming home to New York who takes a cab from JFK to her home in Hell’s Kitchen.

Continue reading ‘Daddio’ Review: Dakota Johnson & Sean Penn Shine in Christy Hall’s Schematic But Affecting Drama [TIFF] at The Playlist.

Sean Penn and Dakota Johnson might be A-list stars who have appeared in huge Hollywood productions, but that doesn’t mean the actors aren’t willing to take a chance on a bold idea, as in their new film, “Daddio.”

As seen in the first-look tease from EW, “Daddio” is one of the most unique films that will debut at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. The film follows the story of a woman who takes a cab home from the airport.

Continue reading ‘Daddio’ First Look: Dakota Johnson & Sean Penn Star In Single-Location Drama Coming To TIFF at The Playlist.

Another week, another casting announcement for Sony‘s upcoming spin-off to “Spider-Man,” “Madame Web.” Does it feel like someone new gets added to the cast list of this film every week? For the last month or so, that’s actually been the case, with five names announced since late May. And now, Variety reports that another joins their ranks: “Severance” star Adam Scott.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’: Adam Scott The Latest To Join The Cast Of Sony’s Spider-Man Spinoff at The Playlist.

A sea sponge has no nervous system. It has no eyes, ears, or mouth. It can’t physically feel a thing. Yet, step on a sea sponge, and you’ll feel pain. Observe their vivid colors, their intrinsic nooks, and cranes, and you’ll feel awe. Hold them in your hand, and they’ll tickle — maybe you’ll spare a chuckle or two. Carrie Cracknell’s newest adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel “Persuasion” is the very opposite.

Continue reading ‘Persuasion’ Review: Dakota Johnson Stars In A Painfully Dull Take On Jane Austen’s Classic at The Playlist.

Thanks to her recent turns in “The Lost Daughter,” “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” and the upcoming “Persuasion,” Dakota Johnson is having a career moment right now. But Johnson has had other outstanding roles over the years, too, like her precocious dancing student in Luca Guadagnino‘s “Suspiria” remake or Ralph Fiennes‘ maybe-daughter in “A Bigger Splash.” And of course, there’s her time as Anastasia Steele in the “Fifty Shades Of Grey” franchise.

Continue reading Dakota Johnson Describes Her Cameo In ‘The Office’ Series Finale Like “Crashing Someone’s Birthday Party” at The Playlist.

With recent acclaimed roles in “The Lost Daughter” and “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” Dakota Johnson is fast becoming one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actresses. And her 2022 isn’t over yet, as she stars in Carrie Cracknell’s Jane Austen adaptation “Persuasion,” out on Netflix on July 15. For some fans, though, Johnson will always be Anastasia Steele, the college student who falls in with BDSM-practicing billionaire Jamie Dornan’s Christian Grey in the “Fifty Shades Of Grey” series.

Continue reading Dakota Johnson Talks “Crazy” ’50 Shades’ Drama & Says She “Signed Up To Do A Very Different Version” Of The Film at The Playlist.

When thinking of high society and complicated romance in art, one of the first names to come to mind is Jane Austen. Just about since cinema has been around, her work is the subject of adaptation time and time again. This ranges back from the 1940 film “Pride and Prejudice” with Laurence Olivier to the 1995 film “Sense and Sensibility” from director Ang Lee, and even the just recently released “Emma” starring Anya Taylor-Joy.

Continue reading ‘Persuasion’ Trailer: Dakota Johnson Does Romantic Jane Austen For Netflix With Henry Golding & Cosmo Jarvis at The Playlist.

Two days after news broke that Isabela Merced joins the cast of Sony Pictures’ next ‘Spider-Man’ spin-off, “Madame Web,” the film adds another actor to its ranks. This time, it’s the first male actor in the female-heavy ensemble and quite the intriguing addition: French star and actor of Algerian descent, Tahar Rahim.

READ MORE: ‘Madame Web’: Isabela Merced Joins Dakota Johnson & Sydney Sweeney In Sony’s Spidey Spin-Off

Deadline reports that Rahim joins Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O’Connor, and Merced in the upcoming film.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’: Tahir Rahim Joins Sony ‘Spider-Man’ Spin-Off Starring Dakota Johnson at The Playlist.

Thanks to the box-office success of “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” which raked in over $500 million worldwide, Sony Pictures has high hopes for its future Spidey-verse movies. And while critics and audiences loathed “Morbius,” it did make a modest profit and finish first at the box office on its opening weekend. All the more reason for Sony to make its next Spidey-adjacent venture, “Madame Web,” that much more bankable as it approaches release next summer.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’: Isabela Merced Joins Dakota Johnson & Sydney Sweeney In Sony’s Spidey Spin-Off at The Playlist.

Is Cooper Raiff the Millenial Richard Linklater? It’s a little too early to tell (and no one is anyone’s anything when it comes to those kinds of comparisons), but Raiff is without a doubt a filmmaker to watch. If his debut “Shithouse” winning the Best Narrative Feature prize at SXSW 2020 didn’t get people’s attention, his latest film’s Audience Award at Sundance this year certainly did.  

READ MORE: ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’ Review: Cooper Raiff Gets The Party Started In His Super-Charming, Bittersweet Sophomore Drama [Sundance]

Now, it’s time for that film to hit the public, courtesy of Apple TV+.

Continue reading ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’ Trailer: Cooper Raiff’s Charming Sophomore Dramedy With Dakota Johnson Hits Apple TV+ On June 17 at The Playlist.