Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson take the lead in Fifty Shades of Grey adaptation

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

The “mommy porn” series of books by E.L. James, FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, have just taken the next major step in coming to the big screen as the two major players have been cast. Charlie Hunnam will play tormented billionaire Christian Grey, while Dakota Johnson will play Anastasia Steele. This casting will likely ignite the fires for fans of the series, while the rest of us continue being indifferent. That said, I’m a fan of Hunnam’s work, mostly from Sons of Anarchy, and think it’s a good move for him, career-wise, as he pushes forward to break into the mainstream, which he had decent luck with successful “bomb” (worldwide gross now at $400 million) that was PACIFIC RIM.

Johnson is another story. The daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, she has jumped around in smaller roles, including 21 JUMP STREET and THE FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT and is currently shooting CYMBELINE with Ethan Hawke. She hasn’t reached household name status just yet, but expect that to change by the end of today. For both her and Hunnam, regardless of the disdain some folks have for the books, this is a game changer for their careers. In terms of fitting the parts; they’re both young and attractive, so I don’t think many will object.

Here’s the book synopsis:

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.
 
Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson (NOWHERE BOY), is set to hit theaters on August 1, 2014.