Vanessa Burghardt: Last News

Dakota Johnson and Cooper Raiff star in the brand new trailer for Cha Cha Real Smooth.

EXCLUSIVE: Impossible Dream Entertainment and Double G Films have set a stacked cast for their dramatic comedy Lost & Found in Cleveland, marking the feature debut of writer-directors Marisa Guterman and Keith Gerchak. Leads for the film, currently in production in Cleveland, include Emmy and Golden Globe winner Martin Sheen (Grace and Frankie), Golden Globe nominee Dennis Haysbert (Far from Heaven), Oscar nominee June Squibb (Nebraska), Golden Globe winner Stacy Keach (Nebraska), Independent Spirit Award winner Yvette Yates Redick (Inherent Vice) and Tony Award winner Santino Fontana (Broadway’s Tootsie).

Michaela Zee editor “Cha Cha Real Smooth” and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” are among the recent honorees of the Ruderman Family Foundation’s Seal of Authentic Representation, Variety has learned exclusively. The Foundation recognizes films and television series that include authentic representation of people with disabilities. Vanessa Burghardt, an actor with autism, plays Domino’s (Dakota Johnson) autistic daughter Lola in the comedy-drama film “Cha Cha Real Smooth.” “From the moment the film’s creator, Cooper Raiff, saw Vanessa’s audition, he knew instantly that she was our Lola. No one could deny her talent but authenticity was important to everyone, so Cooper changed the script to age up the character and that was the end of it. Looking back, I cannot imagine another person playing Lola,” said producer Jessica Switch in a statement. “Vanessa was perfect. She was extremely professional and sweet on set. She nailed every take and always came prepared. She also brought her personal experience to the character. The headphones that she wears in the movie are her own headphones, and similar to the character, Vanessa uses them as a source of comfort and security.”

Keke Palmer hits the blue carpet for the 2022 Newport Beach Film Festival honors program held at The Balboa Bay Club and Resort on Sunday (October 16) in Newport Beach, Calif.

EXCLUSIVE: Ana Bedayo joins Stride as a manager. Bedayo comes to Stride from Grandview.

Dakota Johnson‘s new movie is being released this week and we can’t wait!

Dakota Johnson, 32, made quite an impression at the 2022 SXSW Festival in Austin, TX on March 18. The gorgeous actress stepped out to attend the premiere of her new film Cha Cha Real Smooth at the Paramount Theatre in a stylish brown, tan, pink, and white patterned blazer over a sheer bustier top and matching patterned flared out pants from Gucci. She also rocked black heels and accessorized with a necklace and dangling earrings.

Dakota Johnson rocks a cool retro suit for the premiere of Cha Cha Real Smooth during the 2022 SXSW Festival held at The Paramount Theatre on Friday (March 18) in Austin, Texas.

Apple has closed the biggest deal of the 2022 Virtual Sundance Film Festival, securing worldwide rights to the Cooper Raiff-directed Cha Cha Real Smooth for around $15 million. The streamer has been the front runner for the picture since it premiered January 23 in the US Dramatic Competition category.

Chris Martin has Dakota Johnson's back. The 44-year-old Coldplay frontman has been dating Johnson, 32, since 2017, and the two have maintained a relatively private romance — though fans got a peek into their home life on Sunday during the Sundance Film Festival. Among the festival's lineup on Sunday was a virtual discussion with the team behind the film "Cha Cha Real Smooth," which debuted at the festival, featuring Johnson, Cooper Raiff and Vanessa Burghardt.

Oops! Dakota Johnson laughed off boyfriend Chris Martin‘s accidental cameo during a virtual interview to promote her new film at the Sundance Film Festival.

EXCLUSIVE: Cooper Raiff can’t seem to catch a break from Covid. A hyphenate who comes into Sundance with one of the buzziest acquisitions titles in Cha Cha Real Smooth, Raiff is coming off the debut Shithouse — it’s more thoughtful than it sounds — that won the Grand Jury Prize at 2020 SXSW. Unfortunately, it was also the first major festival forced to cancel in-person events by Austin when Covid exploded. Raiff has made another charming confused young man comes of age film that he wrote, directed, produced and starred in. And now has run smack into Covid Delta’s sequel, Omicron. Which means he’ll keep intact his festival streak of being unable to experience his film playing in a crowded theater, a disadvantage since he makes crowd-pleasing films. The film, which stars Raiff, Dakota Johnson, Leslie Mann, Brad Garrett, Vanessa Burghardt and Evan Assante, makes its virtual Sundance debut tomorrow. The hope is that by the time the film gets released, Raiff’s work can be discovered in a theater. “Cooper’s magic is that his vision remained consistent, only deeper because of his interactions with the actors,” said producer Erik Feig, whose Picturehouse co-financed the film with Endeavor Content. “Cooper is a true humanist fully of empathy that is infused in every frame of this film.”