Sam Taylor-Johnson has, as expected, walked away from the Fifty Shades of Grey movie franchise after directing just one movie. Taylor-Johnson was widely expected to refuse the chance to direct Fifty Shades Darker – the second in the series – after a reported on-set clash with author E.L James.
Fifty Shades of Grey starred Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson
The director, who previously helmed the John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy, spoke publically about the difficulties of satisfying James’ vision of the movie which starred Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson.
More: Charlie Hunnam on avoiding “f*cking disaster” Fifty Shades of Grey
“It was difficult, I’m not going to lie,” she told Porter magazine in January. “We definitely fought, but they were creative fights and we would resolve them. We would have proper on-set ‘barneys’, and I’m not confrontational, but it was about finding a way between the two of us, satisfying her vision of what she’d written as well as my need to visualise this person on screen. But, you know, we got there.”
James had apparently refused to allow playwright Patrick Marber to add colour to his dialogue, which was roundly mocked by literary critics upon the book’s release. According to Variety, screenwriter Kelly Marcel will also not return for Fifty Shades Darker.
More: Ok let’s do this: the Fifty Shades of Grey reviews
Still, the departure of Taylor-Johnson is by no means a disaster for Universal, who have pulled in $ 558 million so far for the erotic drama. Very few of those paying to watch the film did so to watch the directorial exploits of Taylor-Johnson.
The news comes as Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke revealed she turned down the chance to appear in the movie.
“I’d done nudity before and was concerned with being labeled for doing it again,” she told the Hollywood Reporter.
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