Universal and Focus Features are going with an all female creative team for its Fifty Shades of Grey film adaptation. Sam Taylor-Johnson, who directed the John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy in 2009, has been hired by the studio to direct that adaptation of E.L. James’ literary sensation.
Deadline confirmed the news. She will work with fellow Brit Kelly Marcel, who was hired back in October. Dana Brunetti and Michael De Luca are producing with James.
In a statement to Deadline, De Luca said that Taylor-Johnson’s “unique ability to gracefully showcase complex relationships dealing with love, emotion and sexual chemistry make her the ideal director to bring Christian and Anastasia’s relationship to life.” He called the director a “natural fit.”
While speculation on who will play the lead roles of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey drew the most attention, rumors about who Universal and Focus would hire to direct also ran wild in the months after the studio secured the movie rights. As recently as May, there were rumors that Anna Karenina director Joe Wright was being considered and that Gus Van Sant had actually made test footage with Alex Pettyfer.
Nowhere Boy is Taylor-Johnson’s sole feature experience, but The Hollywood Reporter notes that she is working on Columbia’s adaptation of A Reliable Wife.
“For the legions of fans, I want to say that I will honor the power of Erika’s book and the characters of Christian and Anastasia. They are under my skin too,” Taylor-Johnson said in a statement.
image: Amazon