Fifty Shades of Grey may have grossed more than half a billion dollars at the box office, but there is one key player who has no intention of returning. There have been rumors swirling for weeks now that director Sam Taylor-Johnson would leave the franchise rather than return to film the sequel, Fifty Shades Darker. But yesterday, March 25, that rumor was confirmed. She was also rumored to have had conflitcs with series author E.L. James.
Deadline was the first to report that Taylor-Johnson had officially severed ties with the franchise, and a press release from the director quickly followed.
"Directing Fifty Shades of Grey has been an intense and incredible journey for which I am hugely grateful. I have Universal to thank for that. I forged close and lasting relationships with the cast, producers and crew and, most especially, with Dakota [Johnson] and Jamie [Dornan]. While I will not be returning to direct the sequels, I wish nothing but success to whosoever takes on the exciting challenges of Films 2 and 3," Taylor-Johnson said in a statement.
There had been a lot of rumors about Taylor-Johnson's vision for the film adaptation being quite a bit different than what James wanted to see unfold. The two reportedly clashed so badly that even before filming was complete it was pretty well understood that Taylor-Johnson would never work with James again.
What do you think Taylor-Johnson's departure will ultimately mean for the second film? It was because of her directing and vision that Fifty Shades of Grey became a blockbuster hit on the big screen. Do you think they are scrambling to find a suitable replacement with a similar vision, or has the studio calmly been planning for her departure for months now? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.
