Is anyone else feeling "Fifty Shades" of confusion? First, there was the never-ending hunt for the perfect Christian Grey. Then, when the project found him in Charlie Hunnam, the actor dropped out. And now, this Jamie Dornan has been thrown into the mix. If you're feeling lost, consider this your "Fifty Shades 101."
First, we have to start with the book. The reason there's even a movie being made is because of author E.L. James, whose fan fiction for "Twilight," another franchise with book beginnings and a rabid fanbase, inspired a publishing goldmine.
"Fifty Shades" is actually comprised of three books: "Fifty Shades of Grey," "Fifty Shades Darker" and "Fifty Shades Freed." Universal acquired the rights to the entire trilogy in March 2012.
In order to pull off this steamy story of a naïve college student, Anastasia Steele, who gets involved with an older, wealthy man with "singular erotic tastes," the "Fifty Shades" movie needed to not only find good actors, but also actors who could satisfy fans' desires and be OK with BDSM-themed sex scenes.
Did we forget to mention that? Yes, part of the titillation surrounding James' work is the bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism to be found in its pages. Kelly Marcel, who's worked on the canceled series "Terra Nova" and also penned the script for "Saving Mr. Banks," is in charge of the screenplay for "Fifty Shades."
Marcel once said that she was envisioning a "raunchy," "NC-17" script, but whatever was turned in might not have passed muster. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the creative team on the project has brought on "Notes on a Scandal" scribe Patrick Marber for a "polish."
But even after Marcel was tapped to write the adaptation in October 2012, there was no casting announcement in sight. And there wouldn't be for a long, long while. In fact, the movie's release date -- August 1, 2014 -- and its director, Sam Taylor-Johnson, were both announced well ahead of any word on lead players.
So while Universal kept searching for its Anastasia and Christian, fans sweated over who should be cast. Ryan Gosling, being the Hollywood darling that he is, would be an obvious choice -- the husband of E.L. James' even thought he heard the actor's name mentioned as a possibility. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. The actor reportedly passed on the role, which makes sense when you remember that he (mistakenly) thinks the public needs a break from him.
Garrett Hedlund was another reported strong contender, but he, too, is said to have passed on the project.
Known for his work on "The Vampire Diaries," a job that requires him to balance sexiness with bad behavior, Ian Somerhalder was an obvious pick to several fans. There was so much desire to see Somerhalder cast that there was a persistent rumor he had been, in fact, cast as Christian Grey.
"White Collar" actor Matt Bomer was also a top choice for the "Fifty Shades" fans.
When it came to the dream actresses to portray Anastasia Steele, the "Fifty Shades" fandom mentioned stars like Alexis Bledel, pictured, Felicity Jones and Elizabeth Olsen.
The lengthy casting period gave ample opportunity for several rumors to start about who was being considered -- and who was passing. Actors like Armie Hammer and Emma Watson openly guffawed at the idea of being cast in the project.
Which brings us to early September 2013, when Universal finally revealed that it had selected Dakota Johnson and Charlie Hunnam as its two leads. Cue the screams of aggravation that were only tempered by a few squeals of joy. This casting was so controversial, some fans even tried to kick the actors out of their newly won roles with online petitions.
And then, "Sons of Anarchy" actor Hunnam made a surprising move and backed out of the role of Grey just weeks before production was supposed to start, tangible chemistry be damned. The official cause was his TV schedule, but there were whispers about whether the pressure and attention from the casting where simply too much for Hunnam.
Universal was left to speedily consider a number of potential replacements. Irish actor Jamie Dornan was mentioned as a front-runner, and on October 23, it seemed the actor was secured as the next Christian Grey. One thing's for sure: He certainly knows how to turn up the heat.
- Model/actor Jamie Dornan has reportedly been cast as Christian Grey
- The 31-year-old is known for modeling for Calvin Klein
- He's also appeared in ABC's "Once Upon A Time"
- "Fifty Shades" is expected to arrive on August 1, 2014
(CNN) -- "Fifty Shades of Grey" has found its new leading man in Jamie Dornan, according to several reports.
Universal Studios isn't commenting, but industry trades like The Hollywood Reporter and Variety cite sources who say the 31-year-old actor has been tapped to replace Charlie Hunnam, the "Sons of Anarchy" actor who was originally cast as Christian Grey and dropped out in mid-October.
Dornan's name may not be that familiar to American audiences, but his face might be. The star, who was born in Northern Ireland, got his start as a model for brands like Dior, Armani and Calvin Klein and posed alongside top names like Kate Moss.
Before he landed acting roles on U.S. shows like ABC's "Once Upon A Time," on which he played the Huntsman/Sheriff Graham, Dornan was known mainly to U.S. celebrity watchers as the guy dating fellow Brit Keira Knightley.
In the UK, he stars in the BBC's psychological thriller "The Fall."
While Dornan had been considered the frontrunner following Hunnam's exit, his wasn't the only name said to be in consideration. The actor reportedly had competition from British actor Christian Cooke, "The Borgias'" Francois Arnaud and "True Blood" star Alexander Skarsgard.
Hunnam, meanwhile, is looking forward to family time.
Charlie Hunnam speaks on '50 Shades' exit
"I am doing good (after dropping 'Fifty Shades')," the 33-year-old recently told E! News. "Just trying to stay focused and stay positive and keep trying to do a good job at work and be with my family."
Hunnam was faced with an onslaught of attention, both positive and negative, following his casting announcement, sparking speculation that he exited the part because of the overwhelming amount of interest. However, studio Universal said in a statement that Hunnam's TV schedule didn't give him time to adequately prepare to play Christian Grey.
Production was expected to begin on the film, adapted from E.L. James' erotic best-seller and to be directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, in early November. The studio has already announced a scheduled release date of August 1, 2014.
Although the project has weathered this casting challenge, its leading lady hasn't gone anywhere. Dakota Johnson, the daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson who's starred in the TV series "Ben and Kate," is still on board to play protagonist Anastasia Steele.
