The author of “Fifty Shades of Grey“, E. L. James, has reportedly recruited her husband to pen the movie’s sequel, “Fifty Shades Darker“.
Author E. L. James and her husband Niall Leonard. Source: Newsweek
Her husband, Niall Leonard, is a well-known author and scriptwriter, with multiple works under his belt. Leonard was the scriptwriter for several British TV shows such as “Air Force One is Down”, “Silent Witness”, “Sea of Souls”, and “Wire in the Blood”. In addition, he is the author of the “Crusher” book series. He also worked on the script of the first “Fifty Shades of Grey” movie, even though he was uncredited.
The announcement came after the announcement that Sam Taylor-Johnson and Kelly Marcel, the director and the scriptwriter of the previous film, would not be coming back for the sequel.
Michael De Luca, producer of the series, has expressed his support for the move. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, he said:
Niall is an outstanding writer in his own right, with multiple established credits, and we are lucky to have him join Team Fifty.
James, who has earned a reputation for demanding total creative control when it comes to the adaptations of her books, reportedly wanted to write the screenplay for the sequel. During shooting of the first film, she frequently clashed with the director regarding various aspects of the film. James and Taylor-Johnson have also admitted that it was hard to work with each other.
Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan will be reprising their roles as Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey in the sequel. The director of the upcoming film has not been named.
The movie is scheduled for a 2017 release, however, no exact date has been announced.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter