Author E.L. James Wants Shailene Woodley for Fifty Shades of Grey Adaptation
Posted 08.21.12 by BrentJS
The erotica novel Fifty Shades of Grey may have started out as Twilight fan fiction, but after author E.L. James rewrote it and repackaged it as an original story — replacing Edward and Bella with Christian and Ana — it became a publishing phenomenon, earning James a spot on Time magazine's list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. Naturally, the popularity of the book started a bidding war in Hollywood and Universal Pictures and Focus Features ended up securing the rights to the entire trilogy of books in March of this year. Since that time, casting speculation has run rampant. Emma Watson was one of the first actresses rumored to be up for the role of Ana, followed by Miley Cyrus, Scarlett Johansson, and even the actress who played the character that originally inspired Ana, Kristen Stewart.
Well, forget all of those names. If James has anything to say about it, Shailene Woodley, the 20-year-old actress who more than held her own opposite George Clooney in The Descendants, will play the naive virgin who falls for a rich young man with a BDSM fetish in the movie adaptation.
Nearly as many actors have been mentioned in connection with the role of Christian — Matthew Bomer, Ryan Gosling, Aaron Johnson and, most recently, Ian Somerhalder — as actresses for the role of Anna, but without a director or even a screenwriter attached, all of the casting speculation is merely that, speculation. If you're a fan of the trilogy, use the comments section below to tell us who you think should play Christian and Ana in the movie adaptation. If you're never read Fifty Shades of Grey, here's the synopsis from James' website to help get you up to speed on what the buzz is all about:
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.