#Dakota Johnson Replaces Daisy Ridley in Indie Drama Daddio

Daisy Ridley’s loss has turned into Dakota Johnson’s gain. The upcoming indie flick Daddio had long had Ridley, known best for her role as Rey in Disney’s Star Wars sequel trilogy, attached in one of the lead roles. However, Ridley will no longer be starring. Instead, it will be Johnson, who previously starred in the Fifty Shades of Grey movies, taking over the part, starring alongside Sean Penn (Mystic River, I Am Sam).

According to multiple reports, Daisy Ridley had signed on to star in Daddio about four years ago. However, due to what is being described as scheduling conflicts, she can no longer make it work. Enter Dakota Johnson. The movie is set to be shopped at the Cannes market next week, with Endeavor Content handling sales. It is described as a “contained yet kinetic drama.” It is said to explore “the complexities of human connection” while proving “that a chance encounter with a total stranger can change a person’s life.” A full logline for the movie has been revealed as well, which reads as follows.

“The film follows a young woman, who after landing at JFK airport in New York City, jumps into the backseat of a yellow taxi. The cabbie, Clark (Sean Penn), throws the vehicle into drive and the two head out into the night… striking up the most unexpected conversation. What begins as amusing chit chat quickly takes a turn towards mysterious and playful, then grows into viscerally honest revelations about relationships, sex and power dynamics, loss and vulnerability.”

Christy Hall is set to make her feature directorial debut with Daddio. Hall is known best as the writer/producer of Netflix’s I Am Not Okay With This. The series would have been given a second season but the Hollywood shutdown prevented that from happening. Hall is also set to produce the movie, as will Dakota Johnson and Ro Donnelly for TeaTime Pictures. Emma Tillinger Koskoff is additionally set to produce.

Dakota Johnson has been quite busy over the last few years. Some of her recent credits include Bad Times at the El Royale, Wounds, The High Note and the acclaimed The Peanut Butter Falcon. She most recently starred in Our Friend, which co-starred Jason Siegel. Johnson also has The Lost Daughter and Am I Ok? in post-production. As for Sean Penn, he stars in and directed Flag Day, which will debut at Cannes. It is set for release in theaters in August.

Daisy Ridley, meanwhile, wrapped up her run as Rey in 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. That put an end to her character’s cinematic journey, which began with 2015’s The Force Awakens. Ridley most recently starred alongside Tom Holland in the YA adaptation Chaos Walking. She is currently filming The Marsh King’s Daughter, which is being directed by Neil Burger. There is no word yet on how soon Daddio could begin filming but we’ll be sure to keep you posted as further details are made available. This news comes to us via Deadline.