Daddio (film)

{{Infobox film

| name = Daddio

| image = Daddio poster.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Christy Hall

| producer = {{Plainlist|

Dakota Johnson
Ro Donnelly
Emma Tillinger Koskoff
Christy Hall
Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis
Terry Dougas

}}

| writer = Christy Hall

| starring = {{Plainlist|

Dakota Johnson
Sean Penn

}}

| music = Dickon Hinchliffe

| cinematography = Phedon Papamichael

| editing = Lisa Zeno Churgin

| studio = {{Plainlist|

Hercules Film Fund
TeaTime Pictures
Raindrop Valley
Projected Picture Works
Rhea Films

}}

| distributor = Sony Pictures Classics

| released = {{Film date|2023|09|1|Telluride|2024|6|28|United States}}

| runtime = 101 minutes{{cite web |title=Daddio |url=https://tiff.net/events/daddio |publisher=Toronto International Film Festival |access-date=August 10, 2023}}

| country = United States

| language = English

| gross = $1.9 million{{cite web|title=Daddio|work=Box Office Mojo|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3765731329/weekend/|access-date=September 13, 2024|archive-date=June 2, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240602024224/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3765731329/weekend/ |url-status=live}}

}}

Daddio is a 2023 American drama film produced, written and directed by Christy Hall. It stars Dakota Johnson (who also produced) as a young woman returning home to Midtown Manhattan from JFK International Airport by cab after a trip, who unexpectedly ends up conversing with her taxi driver (Sean Penn).

After premiering at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on September 1, 2023, Daddio was released in select cinemas in the United States and Canada by Sony Pictures Classics on June 28, 2024.{{Cite The Numbers |id=Daddio-(2024) |title=Daddio (2024) |access-date=July 1, 2024}}

Premise

After landing at JFK International Airport, a young woman takes a cab back to her apartment in Manhattan. During the ride, she and the cab driver, Clark, have unexpectedly honest conversations about numerous topics, including their past and present relationships, sex and power dynamics, loss, and vulnerability.

Cast

Sean Penn as Clark
Dakota Johnson as Girlie{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/tiff-2023-woman-of-the-hour-daddio-the-new-boy|title=TIFF 2023: Woman of the Hour, Daddio, The New Boy|last=Tallerico|first=Brian|work=RogerEbert.com|date=September 15, 2023|access-date=December 17, 2023}}

Production

The film was originally conceived as a stage play in New York City.{{cite magazine | url=https://ew.com/movies/sean-penn-dakota-johnson-daddio-first-look/ | title=Sean Penn takes Dakota Johnson for a fateful cab ride in 'Daddio' first look | magazine=Entertainment Weekly }} In October 2017, it was announced that Daisy Ridley would star in the film, based on a spec script by Christy Hall.{{cite web|last=Kroll|first=Justin|title=Daisy Ridley to Star in Drama 'Daddio' (EXCLUSIVE)|date=October 3, 2017|work=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/daisy-ridley-daddio-star-wars-1202575546/|accessdate=July 2, 2023}} That December, the script was included on that year's "Black List" of the most-liked unproduced scripts in Hollywood.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/12/2017-black-list-scripts-ranking-list-screenplays-1202222558/|title=The Black List 2017 Screenplays: Post-WWII Tale 'Ruin' Is No. 1 – Full Rankings|last=Hipes|first=Patrick|work=Deadline Hollywood|date=December 11, 2017|access-date=July 5, 2023}} In June 2021, it was announced that Johnson had replaced Ridley and that Penn was also cast in the film.{{cite web|last=Kroll|first=Justin|title=Dakota Johnson And Sean Penn To Star In Christy Hall's 'Daddio'–Hot Cannes Package|date=June 16, 2021|work=Deadline Hollywood|url=https://deadline.com/2021/06/dakota-johnson-sean-penn-christy-halls-daddio-cannes-1234776334/|accessdate=July 2, 2023}}{{cite web|last=Sneider|first=Jeff|title=Dakota Johnson Replaces Daisy Ridley in Indie Movie 'Daddio' Starring Sean Penn|date=June 16, 2021|work=Collider|url=https://collider.com/dakota-johnson-daddio-movie-sean-penn/|accessdate=July 2, 2023}} Johnson was the one to initially suggest Penn and personally sent him the script.

Principal photography occurred in New York City and in Jersey City, New Jersey, in December 2022.{{cite web|last=Lissner|first=Caren|title=Sean Penn And Dakota Johnson Shooting Movie 'Daddio' In Hoboken|date=December 21, 2022|work=Patch|url=https://patch.com/new-jersey/hoboken/sean-penn-dakota-johnson-shooting-movie-daddio-hoboken|accessdate=July 2, 2023}} It was shot in 16 days. The film entered post-production in January 2023.{{cite web|last=Kroll|first=Justin|title=Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni To Star In 'It Ends With Us'; Baldoni Also Directing Sony And Wayfarer Studios' Adaptation Of Colleen Hoover Novel|date=January 26, 2023|work=Deadline Hollywood|url=https://deadline.com/2023/01/blake-lively-justin-baldoni-sony-wayfarer-studios-adaptation-colleen-hoover-it-ends-with-us-1235242008/|access-date=July 2, 2023}}

All scenes taking place within the cab were shot on a sound stage using on-set virtual production, consisting of large LED video screens on which digital environments were rendered. The actors performed in front of the screens in real time.{{Cite web |last=Nemiroff |first=Perri |date=2023-09-17 |title='Daddio' Is the First Grounded Drama to Use 'Mandalorian' Technology |url=https://collider.com/daddio-mandalorian-technology-director-comments/ |access-date=2024-02-02 |website=Collider |language=en}}

Release

Daddio premiered at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on September 1, 2023.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/awards/telluride-lineup-the-bikeriders-rustin-saltburn-1235707476/|title=Telluride Lineup Includes World Premieres of 'Saltburn,' 'The Bikeriders' and 'Rustin' With Tributes for Yorgos Lanthimos and Wim Wenders|website=Variety|first=Clayton|last=Davis|date=August 30, 2023|access-date=August 30, 2023}} It also screened at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2023, as part of its special screening program.{{cite Magazine |last1=Vlessing |first1=Etan |title=Jenna Ortega's Finestkind, Dakota Johnson's Daddio Added to Toronto Film Fest Lineup |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/jenna-ortega-dakota-johnson-movies-2023-toronto-lineup-1235560737/ |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter |publisher=Penske Media Corporation |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/7Oxpz |archive-date=August 10, 2023 |date=August 10, 2023 |url-status=live}} Later that month, Sony Pictures Classics acquired distribution rights to the film for North and Latin America as well as some European and Asian territories, scheduling it for a theatrical release sometime in 2024.{{cite web |last=Fleming |first=Mike Jr. |date=September 21, 2023 |title=Sony Pictures Classics Hails Ride With 'Daddio,' Christy Hall's Telluride Toronto Fest Preem: Sean Penn & Dakota Johnson On JFK Yellow Cab Ride |url=https://deadline.com/2023/09/sean-penn-dakota-johnson-daddio-sony-pictures-classics-deal-christy-hall-directing-debut-telluride-toronto-festivals-1235547721/ |access-date=September 21, 2023 |website=Deadline Hollywood}} It was released in the United States and Canada on June 28, 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.sonyclassics.com/film/daddio/|title=Daddio|website=Sony Classics|access-date=March 19, 2024}}{{cite web|last=Grobar|first=Matt|title=Daddio Release Date Set By Sony Pictures Classics|url=https://deadline.com/2024/03/daddio-release-date-set-sony-pictures-classics-1235862405/|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=March 19, 2024|access-date=March 19, 2024}}

Daddio was released in Germany June 27, and in Argentina June 28, 2024. The film was scheduled to be released in Russia and the CIS on July 11, 2024.

Reception

=Box office=

In the United States and Canada, the film made $424,091 from 628 theaters in its opening weekend.{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/2024W26/|title=Domestic 2024 Weekend 26|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=July 4, 2024}}

=Critical response=

{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|77|6.9|100|consensus=A ruminative chamber piece on wheels, Daddio feels expansive thanks to Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn's compelling rapport.|access-date=August 2, 2024|ref=y}} {{Metacritic film prose|62|25|ref=yes|access-date=July 10, 2024}}

Peter DeBruge of Variety gave the film a positive review and wrote, "Every aspect of Daddio is designed to spark conversation. But it’s sweeter and more satisfying than you might expect..."{{cite magazine|last=Debruge|first=Peter|title='Daddio' Review: Sean Penn Takes Dakota Johnson for a Ride in Bold, Conversation-Igniting Debut|date=September 3, 2023|magazine=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/daddio-review-sean-penn-dakota-johnson-1235712604/|accessdate=September 5, 2023}} Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter also gave the film a positive review, calling it "A deftly executed debut feature."{{cite magazine|last=Farber|first=Stephen|title='Daddio' Review: Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn Shine in a Taxi-Set Two-Hander|date=September 3, 2023|magazine=The Hollywood Reporter|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/daddio-review-dakota-johnson-sean-penn-1235581214/|accessdate=September 5, 2023}} Todd McCarthy of Deadline Hollywood also gave the film a positive review and wrote, "Sean Penn is at his absolute best here in a tremendously engaging performance as a salty working-class guy with an endless supply of opinions and ways of drawing out his passengers, while Dakota Johnson more than holds her own as a game passenger increasingly willing to share her problems with the amateur shrink behind the wheel."{{cite web|last=McCarthy|first=Todd|title='Daddio' Review: Sean Penn And Dakota Johnson Drive Breakthrough First Film From Christy Hall – Telluride Film Festival|date=September 4, 2023|website=Deadline Hollywood|url=https://deadline.com/2023/09/daddio-review-sean-penn-dakota-johnson-movie-christy-hall-1235536039/|accessdate=September 9, 2023}}