New Jersey actor Vanessa Burghardt made her feature film debut in “ Cha Cha Real Smooth .”

Dakota Johnson played her mother in the 2022 Cooper Raiff film, set on the bar and bat mitzvah dance floors of North Jersey.

Now Burghardt is poised to lead Johnson’s feature directorial debut , “ A Tree is Blue .”

Last year, Johnson, who also wrote the film, said that she would be working with Cedar Grove’s Burghardt again in her first movie as a director .

READ MORE: Dakota Johnson will reteam with N.J. actor for directorial debut. ‘I know her very well.’

Deadline reports that Burghardt is in talks to star. Others in the mix for roles include pop star Charli XCX and Jessica Alba .

Johnson’s story is about a character with autism and her mother.

Burghardt, who has auti

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