Dakota Johnson returns to her indie roots after ’50 Shades’ trilogy

Actress Dakota Johnson has had some trouble getting taken seriously throughout her career. As the daughter of two famous actors, Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, she comes across as a privileged actor who only garnered success by having famous parents. Her biggest role as Anastasia Steele of the “Fifty Shades of Grey” franchise hasn’t helped her credibility. While Johnson has been selective in her roles since then, to counter this notion, there’s no reason why she shouldn’t be respected.

Before “50 Shades,” Johnson’s career consisted mainly of small roles in otherwise big projects. She was featured in “The Social Network,” “Beastly,” “21 Jump Street,” “Need For Speed” and in the final episode of the beloved television series “The Office”. Her screen time in these movies was relatively brief, but “50 Shades” was a chance to showcase her talents as a lead. The films did not receive much critical acclaim, but the trilogy was an audience favorite and box office success. It also gave Johnson the ability to gain more control over her career.

Earlier this month, Johnson starred in the retro thriller “Bad Times at the El Royale” with A-list actors including Jon Hamm, Jeff Bridges and Chris Hemsworth. The film was well received by both critics and audiences, but Johnson’s biggest role in the indie scene will come in early November. Again working with director Guadagnino, Johnson is starring in his remake of Dario Argento’s classic 1977 horror film “Suspiria.” Guadagnino’s take — which is getting a wide release in theaters on Oct. 26 — features Johnson in top billing and was screened in a number of prestigious film festivals this season.

Since the first installment of the “50 Shades” franchise, Johnson has veered toward more indie projects. In 2015, the same year as the first “50 Shades” movie, she appeared in Scott Cooper’s “Black Mass” as well as Luca Guadagnino’s “A Bigger Splash.” The films featured her in lead roles alongside serious stars, Johnny Depp and Tilda Swinton. Now that the “50 Shades” franchise is over, though, Johnson is returning to her indie roots.

These days, this isn’t an unusual career trajectory. Actors often will use a brief stint in a franchise or series of blockbusters in order to get attention from the industry and then will start choosing projects with more prestige, typically in the indie scene. Kristen Stewart starred in the critically reviled but popularly beloved “Twilight” series, and used that star power to exert more control over her projects. Since “Twilight,” Stewart has become something of an indie darling, working with prominent indie directors such as Olivier Assayas and Kelly Reichardt.

This can often lead to attention from the Academy as well, as in the case of Emma Stone. She started off doing studio comedies such as “Superbad” and “Easy A,” but has since received two Academy Award nominations for her work in the critically-acclaimed films “La La Land” and “Birdman,” winning Best Actress for “La La Land.” She is projected to receive another nomination later this season for her work in the upcoming indie “The Favourite.”
It’s not a stretch to think the future holds some Academy attention for Dakota Johnson as she continues to pursue projects that allow her to display the acting prowess we didn’t know she had.