The background
Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James, the phenomenally selling book about sadomasochistic porn which is being gulped down by middle-aged women (and others) across the globe, will be made into a film. Universal Studios, reported The Telegraph, have brought on Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti; both have films from books: The Social Network from The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich, and Moneyball, from a book of the same title by Bennett Miller. Universal bought the rights for $5 million. Worldwide sales of the book have reached 31 million.
The book sees its heroine, Anastasia Steele, becoming controlled by (and introduced to bondage by) the fabulously wealthy Christian Grey. There is actually a blog dedicated to the book’s transition to film, where you can find minute by minute developments. If you’re that interested.
So who’s going to play in it?
Well, nobody knows yet, of course, but Nick Allen on The Telegraph said that Scarlett Johansson, Mila Kunis, Amanda Seyfried and Shailene Woodley were all being “touted.” As for Christian Grey, well, that could be Christian Bale, Michael Fassbender, Ryan Gosling, Alexander Skarsgard or Justin Timberlake. E L James has dismissed reuniting the Twilight stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson – Fifty Shades began as Twilight fan fiction. Anne Hathaway has neither confirmed nor denied rumours that she will play Anastasia.
Please let it be Ryan Gosling!
Cosmopolitan was swooning over the possibility of Ryan Gosling. “The swoon-tastic hunk” received 40 per cent of the votes for what Cosmo readers would like to see in the film. “Can you imagine Ryan, shirtless, uttering the words ‘every time you move tomorrow, I want you to be reminded that I’ve been here. Only me. You are mine…’ – because we certainly can!” Mark Wahlberg apparently “struggled into last place” with only 6 per cent of the vote.
Who’s going to write the script?
Bret Easton Ellis, author of American Psycho, has put himself forward. It would be a dream for him, apparently. This, despite the “he gaudy nature of its prose – ‘he’s my very own Christian Grey-flavoured popsicle” and “my inner goddess is doing the merengue with some salsa moves,’” sighed Ben Child in The Guardian.
What do the studio say about it?
“At its core Fifty Shades of Grey is a complex love story, requiring a delicate and sophisticated hand to bring it to the big screen,” said Donna Langley, the Universal co-chairman.
They’re making a ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ film…? Might as well just stream PornHub.com into the cinemas.
— Steve Oliver (@SteveeOliver) July 10, 2012
A scientist at the University of Central Lancashire, Dr Faye Skelton, put together a composite of what Christian Grey looked like, from how women described him. Here he is:
Let us know who you’d like to see in the film!