After news broke earlier this week that EL James has written a new version of Fifty Shades of Grey entirely from the viewpoint of S&M-loving sociopath Christian Grey, rumours have already started to circulate about a big-screen adaptation.
But, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan have not signed any contractual deal to reprise their characters in a spin-off film. Sources suggest that Universal do own rights to the book, entitled Grey, as they already control the big-screen exploits of the characters.
The announcement of Grey, to be published 18 June, was a surprise to the industry and the stars themselves, who were unaware of its existence. There’s no confirmation on whether it will even be made into a film, but given the $570m worldwide box office for the first film it’s a strong possibility.
Both Johnson and Dornan are set to star in Fifty Shades Darker, which has a release date of February 10, 2017, but the film is still in search of a director as Fifty Shades of Grey’s Sam Taylor-Johnson decided not to come back for more. With the screenwriter also departing, James’s husband has signed on for writing duties.
