Sam Taylor-Johnson exits Fifty Shades franchise

This isn't really a surprise, but Universal announced today that Sam Taylor-Johnson will not return to direct the Fifty Shades of Grey sequels. She quite famously clashed with Fifty Shades author, EL James, on set and after James demanded to pen the script for Fifty Shades Darker it's assumed that was the final straw for her.

Sam Taylor-Johnson had this to say about her departure:

"Directing Fifty Shades of Grey has been an intense and incredible journey for which I am hugely grateful. I have Universal to thank for that. I forged close and lasting relationships with the cast, producers, and crew and most especially, Dakota and Jamie. While I will not be returning to direct the sequels, I wish nothing but success to whosoever takes on the exciting challenges of films two and three."

The film has been a surprising success at the box office despite rather overwhelmingly negative critical reviews. It's another franchise, it seems, where the fans love it but the critics hate it. Like I said, this isn't really surprising but I think it's perhaps the biggest mistake Universal could have made regarding this franchise, aside from allowing James to pen the scripts.
The movie wasn't great but it wasn't horrible and I credited Sam Taylor-Johnson for a lot of that. The element she brought to the film was a pleasant surprise and she gave it a mood that was tolerable.  I think losing her puts the sequels at great risk of becoming gimmicky, corny, or feeling mismatched with the first film. We've seen this with film franchises too many times such as Harry Potter, Twilight, The Hunger Games, etc.. Some films outshine the others while some are downright horrible and it's all the direction. Directors bring a lot of elements to a film and when they depart or enter, they have the power to change the whole dynamic of the story.

Mark my words, that will happen with this franchise. I would go far enough to say each film will have a different director. Given what Sam Taylor-Johnson put up with regarding EL James' involvement, I don't think any director in Hollywood will tolerate her shit for more than one film. It's come out that James feuded with Taylor-Johnson over the ending of the film, the dialogue, and how Christian Grey was portrayed. With that said, I would bet that Universal will seek out a director that has similar ideals to EL James or is willing to tolerate the ridiculous amount of control the studio gave her.

Rumor: Lily Allen in talks for Fifty Shades sequels

More rumors surrounding the yet to be officially announced Fifty Shades sequels. The newest rumor to join the pack is that British musician, Lily Allen, is in talks to join the sequel(s) because she was seen with Fifty Shades of Grey director, Sam Taylor-Johnson, at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood for over an hour.

Now... there is no telling if this is even true, but if it is my guess would be that Allen will be a part of the soundtrack and not the film. Allen has only four film credits to her name and two of them are short films. Seeing how successful the soundtrack to the first film has become and how Universal has stated that creating a strong soundtrack relevant to the film was a priority I don't think they will let another installment be released without another great soundtrack.
However, on the odd chance that Allen is being sought after to act in the film it might be possible that she's on the radar to portray Christian's ex-submissive, Leila Williams. If that isn't it I would guess she will be part of the office staff at SIP where, no doubt, Anastasia will be hired at in the sequel.

EL James wants full control of Fifty Shades sequels

I personally, and surprisingly, enjoyed Fifty Shades of Grey but I credit a big part of that to one thing: EL James didn't have complete control.

Apparently the British author is trying to up the ante with the studios and is now demanding complete creative control over the sort of confirmed Fifty Shades sequels. James' level of involvement with Fifty Shades of Grey became rather well-known as insiders blabbed to the tabloids about on-set fights between her and director Sam Taylor-Johnson. The rift and overbearing control over the source material even caused issues with the actors at one point.
Confirmation of the sequels was originally thought to be official, but since the release we haven't gotten any confirmation from Universal and the actors have made it clear via talk shows and magazine articles that sequels aren't official just yet, but they would love to return as the characters for more films. Insiders are assuming that two people won't be back, especially if full control is given to James, and that is Sam Taylor-Johnson and screenwriter Kelly Marcel. Marcel and James evidently had a falling out while writing the original draft of the screenplay that spawned a rewrite because the original draft James assisted with was horrible. This is no surprise seeing how horribly written the books were.

Now... unless this is all in the contract that was written when Universal purchased the film rights, there is no reason why EL James has to be involved at all. This has to be somewhat true because Universal is reluctant to give her full control for a couple reasons:

1. She is unfamiliar with Hollywood and how film adaptations of books work.  (obviously)
2. She has never written a screenplay by herself. 
3. She only has three writing credits to her name (aka, the Fifty Shades trilogy) and they are all within the last four years. Not to mention the trilogy spawned from poorly written Twilight fan-fiction she posted online.

Insiders are claiming that the reason the sequels haven't been officially announced by Universal is because they are fighting with EL James and it's holding up production. That is why the actors are having to beat around the bush when people ask them about sequels and that is most likely why Sam Taylor-Johnson went from saying on The Today Show she had signed onto the sequels to not saying anything at all. Come the day that things get squared away, if and when, production likely won't start until 2016 which would delay the sequels by at least a year. This is not smart because despite what it may seem like now, the fandom and mania will die down and people will lose interest. With franchises like these it is in the best interest to release a film every year. I assumed Fifty Shades Darker would hit in 2016 and Fifty Shades Freed would in 2017, but if they can't get past EL James and her demands that isn't going to happen.
This also puts the actors in a bind which is something I don't think they realize. Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan are on everyone's radar and there is no doubt that they are being sought after for roles, especially now that the international box office for Fifty Shades is over $300 million. Until they know when production of Fifty Shades Darker will start they can't really commit to other projects. If they do and a sequel is officially announced they might have some scheduling conflicts which would put them in a situation where Fifty Shades would take priority since they are contractually obligated to appear. That's not fair at all and this makes it even more obvious that EL James doesn't give a shit about the other people involved in this franchise.

The complaints most people have so far about Fifty Shades of Grey was regarding the script and the so-called "bore factor" that the film brought, but knowing how difficult production was with James' involvement you can't really blame them. Universal gave this woman way too much power and now she wants more. If Taylor-Johnson does really walk and won't direct the sequels they are going to have some major problems. Her vision for the film was actually quite beautiful and I don't think the sequels will have the same vision or elements if she is not involved. Not to mention they are going to have a hell of a time finding a director who is willing to work with EL James and take her shit with a grain of salt.

Smh.

Fifty Shades of Grey quickly shatters records

No one really knew what to expect from the release of Fifty Shades of Grey this weekend, but the film adaptation of the erotic novel has surprised many and in three days has shattered box office records.

Not only has it already grossed $239.7 million at the international box office (and still climbing), it managed to bring in $81 million just in the United States. The film has more than made up its $40 million budget and it has been said that films for "Fifty Shades Darker" and "Fifty Shades Freed" are most likely happening.

Want some more records?

• Biggest President's/Valentine's Day opener (previously was Valentine's Day with $56.3 million)
• Second highest film from a female director (first place still belongs to The Matrix Reloaded from the Wachowski's)
• Highest number of theater screenings with 3,646 locations (previously was The Hangover: Part II with 3,615)
• Biggest single-day February opening with $36.7 million (previously was Passion of the Christ with $33.1 million)
• Second biggest February debut (first place still belongs to Passion of the Christ with $83.9 million)
• Fourth biggest R-rated opening (still got beat by The Matrix Reloaded, The Hangover: Part II, and Passion of the Christ... no pun intended)
• Universal's second biggest international opening with $158 million (first still belongs to Fast & Furious 6 with $160.3 million)
• Biggest R-rated international release (previously was The Matrix Revolutions with $117 million)

I have yet to see Fifty Shades of Grey, but reviews of the film so far have been a mixed bag. It's pretty much a hit with fans and there are some critics out there that have given it some positivity, but it's received an overwhelmingly negative reactive from most film critics. The basics that I have gotten is it's watered down and sappy because they turned it into a love story. Also that Dakota Johnson is by far the best part of the movie and Jamie Dornan struggled and was flat.

With all that said, the box office alone proves that a lot of people were curious. I have no doubt we'll have more Fifty Shades in 2016 and 2017. 

EL James determined Fifty Shades of Grey ending, not the director.

It would appear that Fifty Shades of Grey author EL James did truly have the last word regarding the film adaptation. The Hollywood Reporter is stating that James managed to overrule director Sam Taylor-Johnson on how the film ends.
It has been said before that when Universal and Focus Features bought the film rights from EL James (aka, Erika Leonard) that she was promised exceptional input and control over the film. Apparently they really weren't kidding about that tidbit as she controlled a lot of the film's production, the script, and had several spats on set with Sam Taylor-Johnson over the creative direction of the film. 

If you are unaware of how the book ends (spoiler alert), Anastasia Steele winds up walking out on Christian Grey after he whips her six times with a leather belt as punishment for her undesirable behavior and for continuously breaking his rules. Granted she asks for it so she can try to fully understand his desires, but in the end she is so disgusted with him that she walks out on the relationship.

According to THR, James pushed for the final word in the film to be "stop" while Taylor-Johnson's preferred ending was the word "red," which was Anastasia's unused safe-word in the book. James' preferred ending came from the original screenplay she wrote with Kelly Marcel while the other ending came from a rewrite that was done by Patrick Marber.
Since the press tour started, Taylor-Johnson has been pretty vocal on her differences with EL James stating that filming was "very difficult" with the author being so involved with every aspect of the shoot. Other insiders claimed that James used every opportunity to flex the power given to her by Universal and it caused unnecessary creative rifts between her, the director, and the actors.
In the end it seems that this all comes down to an author not realizing that movie adaptations are not identical to the books. You do have to change things up a bit and include some aspects that would be missing from a page to page adaptation. Sam Taylor-Johnson and many insiders apparently felt that the ending James pressured them into using might hurt the allure of sequels and viewers won't be as satisfied as they would have been otherwise. Universal has yet to comment on this, but I would bet that if they greenlight movies for Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed that they won't have Taylor-Johnson back. Not unless they restrain EL James.

As someone who read the books both endings confuse me a little bit, especially if James was pushing for such a close adaptation. Anastasia's final interaction with Christian was her walking out and saying goodbye, it wasn't just her telling him to stop. Her final interaction of the book was with Christian's bodyguard, Taylor. If it ends with her just telling Christian to stop they will have left out her actually walking out on him which is a big mistake. On the other hand, if they would have gone with the "red" ending it would have destroyed Ana's arc completely because she never uses the safe-word. It comes heavily into play in the second book because Christian blames her for not using the safe-word and letting him know she couldn't handle what was being done to her.
I figure they probably cut the movie a bit short when it comes to the book because I have no doubt we will get sequels and they had to do something to entice people who haven't read the books for more. The film has already broken pre-sale ticket records and is on track to make over $60 million at the box office, just on opening weekend.

Either way, we will find out in 8 days. 

Which Fifty Shades scene was ultimately cut?

It's not an understatement to say that all of Fifty Shades of Grey was controversial, but among all of the scenes in the book there is one that director Sam Taylor-Johnson chose to omit from the film adaptation. No, it's not Ana's first encounter with Christian at the hardware store or their first night in Christian's "Red Room of Pain." The scene that we will not see is pretty small, but it did even gross out some readers.

Taylor-Johnson stated that the bit where Christian removes Ana's tampon so they could have sex was omitted from the film. According to her the situation wasn't even discussed among the writers and the actors. It was just left out entirely. She also did hint that the sexual situations, although still a part of the film, were ultimately toned down. Early drafts of the script were rewritten because the team wanted to maintain a balance between the story and connection of the characters and their sexuality so the sexual overtones weren't overpowering the entire film.

In other words, they had to do something to maintain an R-rating. Sorry guys.

Fifty Shades of Grey - New Trailer

We have the second, and probably final, trailer for Fifty Shades of Grey. The trailer shows a lot more footage than the first one did and it also gives some insight to the sexual nature of the film. Fifty Shades of Grey is set for release Valentine's Day 2015 and stars Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson.

Fifty Shades of Grey - First Trailer

I would say I should probably read the book again but I really don't want to. Just like I don't really want to see this movie. If I wanted to watch a bad plot with creepy bondage sex I would watch a porno online for free.




But, nevertheless this is a big thing for a lot of people. As far as the casting goes I actually think the actors they decided on are good choices. They seem to have a lot of chemistry which is never a bad thing for a film like this. I foresee this being another Twilight type franchise. It will be widely made fun of and criticized, but the true fanbase will love it no matter how bad it is. Fifty Shades of Grey whips its way into theaters (oh, that pun) on February 14, 2015.

And in case you really don't know what this story is about... do not go see this with your parents. It will get very awkward very quickly.


EDIT:  I decided to take the plunge and re-read the first book and continue on with the second and third. I was curious to see if I could make it through all three of them. After finishing the trilogy and watching this trailer a couple more times I will compliment them on one thing... it looks very close to the book.
You can pinpoint exact scenes from the book and they are right there in the trailer. Examples being Christian carrying Ana down the hall in the bathrobe (it is described in much detail), seeing Ana's hair in the braid (explained in the book), Christian's "special" jeans (explained in the book), Ana's dinner with the Grey family (a rather... awkward chapter), Christian flying the glider with Ana in Georgia (surprise), him picking her up in the helicopter (duh), etc.. It is all there. If the whole movie is that close they definitely did something not many movie adaptations achieve.
Another thing I will reiterate since I already mentioned it is this is really good casting. Since I found out that Dakota Johnson had been cast I did remember briefly seeing her in The Social Network and recalled people online saying she is becoming a notorious scene stealer. Although she was close I wouldn't say she stole the whole scene from Justin Timberlake in The Social Network, but she definitely overpowered Jason Segel in The Five Year Engagement and she was only in it for maybe 5min. She looks a bit older than she actually is, but there is no denying that she is very likeable and that is definitely something they needed for Ana because the character is unbelievably annoying. She doesn't become likeable, for me, until the last quarter of the third book.  She is crippled by attraction, stubborn, and weak minded.
As far as Jamie Dornan goes, I think he has a lot of promise but there is no telling for sure. Here's to hoping he has the creep factor because Christian is definitely a creeper and is very intense. If I see the movie and he isn't making me uncomfortable then they went with the wrong actor. Simple as that.

Tensions rise on Fifty Shades of Grey set

Seems that there is some trouble in paradise for Fifty Shades of Grey. The movie is currently shooting, but there are reportedly some tensions between director Sam Taylor-Johnson and book author E.L. James. Apparently James is arguing about how the script is written and wants the movie to be a page by page adaptation of the book. Taylor-Johnson responds with telling James she should stick to writing books.

Ouch.

In addition to that, there have been problems with the Vancouver residents. During a recent scene in the rain, local residents were very vocal about their disapproval of the rain machine and stated if any water got into their homes they would sue to the production. The producers had to meet halfway and eventually wound up moving to a new location. Sources say one resident took it upon himself to shake a cowbell out his window and ruin every take.


You know.... sometimes people should take it as a sign. Maybe this movie just shouldn't be happening.

Fifty Shades of Grey production delayed

Surprise, surprise.

It has been announced that Focus/Universal have made the decision to delay production on Fifty Shades of Grey by a little over one month. Now instead of starting on November 1st, filming will not start until an unnamed date in December if not later. This comes after Jamie Dornan was cast in replacement of Charlie Hunnam as Christian Grey. Delaying the start of production could mean the film will not make the August 1, 2014 release date.

This doesn't come as a shock to me. My personal theory is the fact that no one wants to be in this movie is holding it back. So far several actors have passed on the supporting roles and the only supporting characters to be cast is Christian's brother Elliot (Luke Grimes) and Anastasia's mom Carla (Jennifer Ehle). There are still a lot of characters that need actors. Here are just a few:

Jose Rodriguez (Ana's friend)
Kate Kavanagh (Ana's roommate)
Ethan Kavanagh (Kate's brother)
Carrick and Grace Grey (Christian's parents)
Mia Grey (Christian's sister)
Dr. Flynn (Christian's psychiatrist)
Elena Lincoln (Christian's business partner)
Leila Williams (Christian's ex-submissive)
Jason Taylor (Christian's bodyguard)
Ray Steele (Ana's stepdad)



I think it's pretty unrealistic that they cast all of these characters and more in four days or less and give people adequate time to prepare. It's bad enough Dornan was just cast last week.
I think they should delay this movie anyway because it shares the date with Guardians of the Galaxy. There is no way this movie will beat that at the box office. 

Charlie Hunnam cites creative differences for 50 Shades departure

Previously when it was announced that Charlie Hunnam had dropped out of Fifty Shades of Grey it was due to scheduling difficulties citing that he would not have proper time to juggle Sons of Anarchy with prepping for the film. It seems that the scheduling conflicts were just some of the problem because now the story has changed.

Hunnam now cites creative differences as reasoning for suddenly dropping out of the film after being cast for less than a month. These differences caused him to turn down $125,000 payday, so they must have been pretty strong. It also appears that Hunnam was submitting his own script notes and demanding more script control after his notes were not taken and/or approved.
His departure has created a lot of problems with the filming schedule. The studio is frantically trying to find a new Christian Grey so they can make the November 1st start to principle photography and still release the film on August 1, 2014. It is notable to mention that Dakota Johnson is still set to play Anastasia Steele and the current frontrunners for Christian Grey are Jamie Dorner, Christian Cooke, and Alexander Skarsgard. The studio is confident they can still make the release date, but they may be forced to delay production a week or so while the casting search continues.
Whoever is cast must prepare for the sudden fandom. It is also suspected that the fandom added to Hunnam's decision to leave the project. He already had to hire extra security for his Sons of Anarchy appearances and has had to cancel appearances already. Allow me to repeat that he had only been cast less than a month and already that was happening.

If all goes according to plan, Fifty Shades of Grey will be released on August 1, 2014. It is to be directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson.

Fifty Shades of Grey loses Charlie Hunnam

All the fangirls who were complaining can rejoice all at once.

Charlie Hunnam was the lucky one to sign on last month to play Christian Grey in the film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey. However, he has reportedly dropped out of the project.
Universal released the following statement:

“The filmmakers of FIFTY SHADES OF GREY and Charlie Hunnam have agreed to find another male lead given Hunnam’s immersive TV schedule which is not allowing him time to adequately prepare for the role of Christian Grey.”

Filming for the adaptation was supposed to begin later this month to meet the August 1, 2014 release date, but with this announcement that could change if they can't find an immediate replacement for Hunnam. This does make sense as Hunnam has a very busy schedule with Sons of Anarchy and that role requires him to maintain a specific look for an extended period of time.
I'm not upset that he dropped out because I think this movie would have ruined his career. Bottom line. He can do better things and not have the Fifty Shades stigma looming over him like Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson are still living with the Twilight stigma. It lasts a long time. Hell, people still pigeonhole Sigourney Weaver for Alien and that came out in 1979.

How much you want to bet people are going to immediately go out and start demanding Matt Bomer again.


Adios, Charlie. You have chosen wisely. 

[Updated] Charlie Hunnam joins Fifty Shades of Grey

The wait is over as we now have official word that Charlie Hunnam has secured the role of Christian Grey, the adopted young billionaire in Fifty Shades of Grey.

This comes after rumors surfaced a week or so ago that Hunnam was under consideration for the role. You probably recognize him from Sons of Anarchy and Pacific Rim. He will play Christian, the BDSM practicing CEO of his own company who coaxed Anastasia into becoming his sex slave. He is described as being tall and muscular with dark copper hair and grey eyes.

I don't know if Hunnam is the best choice, but I'm sure people will make it work. I just hope he is ready for the impact. He will be the next Robert Pattinson, I'm sure. He joins Dakota Johnson who has secured the role of Anastasia Steele.

[UPDATE] As of October 12, Charlie Hunnam is no longer attached to Fifty Shades of Grey. He dropped out of the project citing creative differences and scheduling conflicts. Read more about it here and here.
On October 23, Jamie Dornan was cast as Christian Grey. Read more about it here.

Dakota Johnson to lead Fifty Shades of Grey

Fifty Shades of Grey finally has their first casting announcement. Dakota Johnson has landed the coveted, lead role of Anastasia Steele.

You may have seen her previously in supporting roles for 21 Jump Street and The Social Network, but this will be Johnson's first major role. The 23-year old is the daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson and the granddaughter of Tippi Hedren who starred in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.
She will play Anastasia, a 20-year old college student who is coaxed into becoming a young billionaire's sex slave. She is described as being shy and insecure but strong willed and stubborn. She is more tomboyish, pale, and dark haired with blue eyes.

This is probably the closest casting for a book adaptation I have seen in a while, so we will see how this goes.

UPDATE: Charlie Hunnam will play Christian Grey

Charlie Hunnam considered for Fifty Shades of Grey

Casting rumors for the movie adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey have been swirling for months, but there is still nothing official. The only thing we know for sure so far is that Sam Taylor-Johnson is directing and it shares the August 1, 2014 release date with Guardians of the Galaxy.

We're starting to get more casting rumors now as word has come out that the frontrunner for the role of Christian Grey is Charlie Hunnam. You know Hunnam from the show Sons of Anarchy and Pacific Rim. I read the book and I wouldn't necessarily say he is perfect casting for the role, but he would probably make it work.
Now with this said, it has also been expressed by the studio that they are hoping to cast Anastasia Steele before Christian Grey. This has been done many times to make sure there is chemistry between the actors. A prime example would be Twilight. Kristen Stewart was cast as Bella Swan long before Robert Pattinson was cast as Edward Cullen. Stewart went through weeks of auditions with many actors as director Christine Hardwicke searched for the right actor for her Bella. It was rumored earlier this week that Dakota Johnson (The Social Network) was under consideration for the role of Anastasia Steele. Yet another questionable casting for me, but it happens.

Now obviously this could all change once there is an actress on board for Fifty Shades of Grey, but for right now it appears the frontrunners are in fact Dakota Johnson and Charlie Hunnam. As for schedules the one who has a pretty busy future is Hunnam as he is committed to at least two more seasons of Sons of Anarchy and Hunnam himself is denying that he has been cast in the role. Either way casting needs to get somewhat underway before too long if they want to make the August release date. 

Fifty Shades of Grey tells the story of a young, wealthy businessman who recruits a virginal college student to be his sex slave. Yes, it is as bad as it sounds. The movie is based off the first book in EL James' Fifty Shades trilogy.

Fifty Shades of Grey given 2014 release date

The movie adaptation of E.L. James' book Fifty Shades of Grey will hit theaters on August 1, 2014. That is if they can get the R-rating. The film is being put on by Universal and Focus and will be directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson. Universal acquired the rights to the entire trilogy in March 2012 and announced their intent to release movies shortly after.

Fifty Shades of Grey tells the erotic (and rather offensive) story of a young billionaire, Christian Grey, and a college student, Anastasia Steele, who fall in love and practice a rather intense BDSM relationship. The book trilogy has become one of the fastest selling book series of all time selling over 70 million copies in both.

Sam Taylor-Johnson to direct Fifty Shades of Grey

Sam Taylor-Johnson (Nowhere Boy) has been tapped to direct the adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey, the erotic story of a college student who enters a risky, relationship with a young business executive. You probably don't know who this woman is but she entered more spotlight after marrying a man 23 years younger than her after he starred in her movie (aka, Aaron Taylor-Johnson from Kick-Ass). It is speculated that they have brought her in to try and give more to the story other than make it the raunchy, BDSM story that it is. Trust me, I managed to read the entire book.

Along with this news, there are more rumors swirling around the casting now that the picture has a director. The given is, of course, that Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been singled out as a contender for the role of Christian Grey but the word is he probably won't pursue the role. The other rumor is that Felicity Jones (Like Crazy) is in the running for Anastasia Steele.