Dakota Johnson on new romcom: 'There’s no right way to love'

A new romantic comedy is set to challenge conventional notions of love and commitment, delving into the increasingly familiar territory of ethical non-monogamy. Splitsville, from writing and directing duo Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin, explores the complexities of open relationships, marriage, and infidelity, with Dakota Johnson taking a starring role and serving as a producer.

The film introduces two couples whose lives intertwine and unravel as they push the boundaries of their relationships. Julie and Paul, played by Johnson and Covino, appear to have found the secret to marital bliss in an open arrangement. However, when Ashley (Adria Arjona) seeks a divorce from her good-natured husband Carey (Marvin), and he turns to Julie and Paul for support, a line is crossed, plunging all their connections into chaos.

Johnson, 36, revealed her attraction to the project stemmed from its distinctive comedic tone and European sensibility. "I was so drawn to its tone of comedy, and it had a European feel to it," the Materialists actress stated.

Having previously admired Covino and Marvin’s debut film The Climb, she added: "I really wanted to work with Mike and Kyle. I had seen their debut film The Climb, and I think that they’re really special, unique filmmakers. It’s really wonderful to be able to work with filmmakers that have such a unique voice and to support and uplift them."

Dakota Johnson as JuliePA/Universal

Known for her roles in romance dramas, including the Fifty Shades trilogy, Johnson expressed her enduring interest in the theme of love. "There are so many ways you can go with the theme of love," she remarked. "I just think it’s such a fun and entertaining subject. I don’t think there’s any right way. It’s all interesting to me." Addressing the film’s exploration of non-monogamy, she clarified: "I think in this movie it’s less about a power play and more about jealousy, insecurity and loneliness. I think it’s very human to become petty about things. I just like how honest the movie is about how messy humans can be."

Covino, 41, and Marvin, 40, whose first film premiered at Cannes in 2019, shared that the inspiration for Splitsville came from friends navigating open relationships. "We started talking about what it would be like to explore similar themes, but in a very different way from that film," Covino explained. He continued: "The idea grew out of a series of conversations we had with each other and with friends who were exploring open relationships, sometimes with success and sometimes with failure. At the same time, we had a desire to make a screwball comedy that explored relationships in a messy, absurd way."

Marvin elaborated on their interest, noting: "We were interested in exploring it because we have people around us who were having those conversations." He added that the themes proved more universal than initially thought. "One thing we discovered as we started writing the movie, and certainly as we made it, is that it’s actually a little more universal. The idea of struggling with marriage, or struggling in a relationship with someone else, is not new to our generation and it’s not just a present-day thing. As we started unpacking it and exploring the complexity of all relationships, we realised we were more interested in the universal themes that resonated with us within that subject matter."

A memorable scene in the film sees Julie and Paul’s idyllic lakefront home destroyed during a brawl between Paul and Carey. Covino and Marvin confirmed that this was a real house, intentionally damaged for the sake of authenticity. "We wanted to create what felt like a real fight. And a real fight is very sloppy and sort of uncontrolled, and so we tried to give it as much of that sense as we possibly could," Marvin stated. Covino added: "We budgeted the film to replace or fix everything. So, we destroyed everything and we did all the stunts ourselves. We really leaned into it and said, ‘All right, we’re gonna put holes in the wall, we’re gonna destroy this table.’ And that’s exactly what we did."

Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin, Adria Arjona and Dakota JohnsonPA/Universal

The filmmakers readily acknowledged Johnson’s significant contribution to the project. "We have no illusions about us elevating the film," Covino quipped. "I think the film is really entertaining and stands on its own. Most people will enjoy it – sure, there might be some who won’t – but we’re not worrying too much about them. And Dakota… she’s incredible. People have come to love watching her on screen, and we were extremely lucky to collaborate with her on this film. Her performance is captivating and remarkable. We feel very fortunate to have her in the role."

Regarding the film’s conclusion, the duo aimed for an ending that felt both unresolved and true to life. "We wanted it to feel unresolved, because the idea that love and situations like this get neatly resolved isn’t really true," Covino explained. "You just adapt and accept in some ways or move on. And so that became the inevitable conclusion." Marvin concluded: "I think for us, we’re very optimistic about love and relationships. We’re inherently romantic, and what we wanted was to show an ending or sort of the ending of our movie, maybe not the ending for this group of people but one that felt real, messy, and complicated." Splitsville is scheduled for release in UK cinemas on Friday, March 27.