Fifty Shades of Grey may have made an absolute killing at the box office in its opening weekend, but that doesn't mean that everyone connected to the franchise is happy. Sam Taylor Johnson was given the tedious task of directing this film and making sure that it was an actual love story of sorts rather than just one S&M scene after another. We have heard for months that her clashes with Fifty Shades author, E.L. James were pretty epic, and now it seems that Johnson desperately wants "out" of having to direct the two sequels that have already been planned.
According to a report by The Daily Mail, "Johnson is keen to leave the franchise due to her constant on-set feuds with the author, despite previously claiming that she had 'signed on' to work on the sequels. A senior film insider told newspaper's Dan Wootton: 'Sam won't be back for the Fifty Shades sequels. She wants out and Universal knows that's the right decision. Her relationship with Erika has become absolutely toxic -- they despise each other and blame each other for the problems with the film." said the source.
Of course, despite all of the documented problems between the two, they are trying to at least make it sound like things are fine. Johnson's rep even went so far as to claim that the sequels haven't been given the go-ahead even though the box office dollar signs have already paved the way to continuing the franchise as originally hoped. Apparently, Johnson has blamed all of the problems behind-the-scenes on James' trying to make the film racier. Meanwhile the author has maintained that the film should mirror the book as much as possible to please the fans.
It's kind of clear that both women had a valid point even in their opposing opinions. However, trying to continue working together sounds like an impossible task, don't you think? Is Johnson better off walking away from the drama now and leaving the next film in the hands of another director? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
