Well, this is an interesting twist.
Charlie Hunnam, who plays "Jax" Teller on FX's Sons of Anarchy and most recently played the lead in Guillermo Del Toro's PACIFIC RIM has just dropped out of the role of Christian Grey in the film adaptation of E.L. James' novel FIFTY SHADES OF GREY. The sudden decision comes just after a month of Hunnam securing the lead in the best-selling "mommy porn" adaptation, which also cast actress Dakota Johnson in the opposite lead of Anastasia Steele. Here's the official announcement from the studio:
“The filmmakers of Fifty Shades Of Grey and Charlie Hunnam have agreed to find another male lead given Hunnam’s immersive TV schedule which is not allowing him time to adequately prepare for the role of Christian Grey.”
At some point the real reason for dropping out may come to light, but I like to think that Hunnam "saw the light" in a sense. I don't think anyone ever saw him taking the role because it was such a great challenge; let's face it, for Hunnam this was a career move. And, although it would surely secure him in the minds of older females for years on end, it also had the potential to cripple him in terms of being taken seriously for any other kind of role. Franchise stigma can do that to any career and I'm thankful Hunnam has chosen to go in another direction. As a big fan of his work on Sons of Anarchy (and the show itself), I'm happy to see him take some more risks, rather than get lost in a thankless role.
Director Sam Taylor-Johnson and the studio will surely have the role filled with another candidate right quick as the film is set to start shooting next month with an eye to release on August 1, 2014.