Dakota Johnson Discusses Fifty Shades of Grey With Vanity Fair

Photo credit: Miguel Reveriego

In this behind-the-scenes video from Dakota’s recent photo shoot for Vanities Opener (see more here), the actress tells Senior West Coast Editor Krista Smith that filming Fifty Shades of Grey has been “a very smooth and fun and creative experience.” Adding, “I think going into something like this, you kind of have all these different fears of what it could be like, and none of those things are happening. We all get along really well. The crew’s amazing, and we’re all just trying to make this project the best that it can be.”

Michael De Luca Discusses “Fifty Shades of Grey” Movie Adaptation

Photo credit: Austin Hargrave

What a great picture!

During a discussion at the PGA breakfast for producers held during Sundance, Team Fifty’s co-producer had this to say about “navigating tricky projects” like Fifty Shades of Grey…

“Obviously, the movie can’t be as explicit as the book,” De Luca said. “The book is explicit by design because the author wanted to go inside the head of Ana — the female lead — and detail her experience. On the literary level, that was necessary. But in a film or any visual medium, a picture is worth a thousand words. To be erotic onscreen is going to have more power than to read the words on a page.”

He added that adapting the book was easier for him than it was for author EL James. “We had to lose some stuff. We had to create some stuff,” he said. “Because with the dramatic arc, it’s a two-hour, three-act structure. … Charlie Hunnam [who dropped out of the production] wanted certain things for his character in the adaptation.”

According to the article, Mr. De Luca said that he was inspired by Adrian Lyne, whose movies are “classy and erotic without being exploitative.”

We love Mr. De Luca’s continued candidness about the process of bringing “Fifty Shades of Grey” to the big screen, as well as his passion for the project.

(You can read the rest of the article written by THR‘s Tatiana Siegel here.)

With no casting news for Ethan Kavanagh, Paul Clayton, and especially Carrick Grey, could it be that these characters are also part of the stuff they had to lose? My co-admin, kitt, likes to send theories to me in a sealed envelope (aka email) and recently suggested that perhaps Christian’s mom, Grace, will be a widow in the movie adaptation. Do you have any theories of your own?

Fifty Shades of Grey: “I’m here to see Mr. Grey.”

The chance meeting that changed everything…

Fifty Shades of Grey, Chapter One, pp. 4-5

THE ROADS ARE CLEAR as I set off from Vancouver, Washington, toward Interstate 5. It’s early, and I don’t have to be in Seattle until two this afternoon. Fortunately, Kate has lent me her sporty Mercedes CLK. I’m not sure Wanda, my old VW Beetle, would make the journey in time. Oh, the Merc is a fun drive, and the miles slip away as I hit the pedal to the metal.

Source: fiftyshadesofgreyfan.org

My destination is the headquarters of Mr. Grey’s global enterprise. It’s a huge twenty-story office building, all curved glass and steel, an architect’s utilitarian fantasy, with GREY HOUSE written discreetly in steel over the glass front doors. It’s a quarter to two when I arrive, greatly relieved that I’m not late as I walk into the enormous – and frankly intimidating – glass, steel, and white sandstone lobby.

Source: @lemon_buzz

Arrow’s Dylan Neal Joins Fifty Shades of Grey Cast

Welcome Dylan Neal as Ana’s stepdad Bob Adams. He will play opposite Jennifer Ehle’s Carla Adams (here).

A picture tweeted today from an outdoor set location showed a palm tree being brought in. With Deadline reporting that Neal had been cast and was set to film this week, it’s a safe bet that they’re filming the scene(s) where Ana goes to Savannah, Georgia, to visit her mom, which begins in Chapter 22 of Fifty Shades of Grey.

And for those of you who have read the book (many more than once!), you know it’s the part where we get this memorable quote said by Christian to Ana…

“You’re the only person I’d fly three thousand miles to see.”

Dylan Neal can be seen in the CW‘s Arrow, as well as the upcoming Hallmark Channel holiday movie Cedar Cove Christmas based on the book by Debbie Macomber.

I’d be in trouble with my co-admin/good friend kitt if I didn’t mention that Dylan Neal used to be on Dawson’s Creek. She and E L James have discussed their fondness for that show.

#TeamWitterBrothers

Academy Award-Winner Marcia Gay Harden Joins Fifty Shades of Grey Cast

Veteran actress Marcia Gay Harden will be playing Dr. Grace Trevelyan-Grey, Christian’s adoptive mother, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter here and confirmed by Team Fifty via Twitter.

Photo credit: Nikki Nelson / WENN

Harden won Best Supporting Actress for her role as artist Jackson Pollock’s wife (played by Ed Harris) in the 2000 movie Pollock. She earned another Oscar nomination for her supporting role in Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River. (Source: IMDb)

Very nice addition! And can’t you just see her going toe to toe with Elena Lincoln (aka Mrs. Robinson)?!

Once we get Carrick cast, the Grey family will be complete. We don’t know about the rest of you, but we keep thinking Kevin Spacey will be cast somewhere along the line. Both he and Marcia Gay Harden are 54. There’s Carrick Grey, Ray Steele, Dr. Flynn… You never know. Regardless, it’s so much fun seeing the cast come together.

EW Cover Features Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson as Christian and Ana

The wait is over! We have our first photo of Jamie and Dakota together in THE roles.

• White shirt? Check.
• Plum dress? Check.
• Gray silk tie? Check, please!

What do you think? So many of you were anxious to see Jamie without the beard. We love Dakota’s soft brown hair with highlights and bangs.

Ridiculously excited. This makes it all so real!

View a slideshow with more pictures from the EW photoshoot here.

Victor Rasuk Joins Fifty Shades of Grey Cast as José Rodriguez

Move over Christian, there’s a new Dog(in)town. Meet Victor Rasuk, the newest member of the Fifty Shades of Grey cast. 

Once again, official confirmation came via Twitter when E L James retweeted Deadline Hollywood’s exclusive announcement.

‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’ Finds Its Jose–Victor Rasuk Plays Christian Grey Romance Rival http://t.co/mEsF87ngus

— Deadline Hollywood (@Deadline) October 31, 2013

*hums It’s a Small World*

Twilight fans will recognize Victor from his role as Tony Alva in Lords of Dogtown, which was directed by Catherine Hardwicke and co-starred Nikki Reed.

Victor’s next movie, Godzilla, is in post-production and due out May 16, 2014. One of the stars? Aaron Taylor-Johnson…husband of Fifty Shades of Grey director Sam Taylor-Johnson.

We recently did a poll (here) to see who you were most looking forward to seeing cast next. While Kate was the overwhelming winner, José was also a fan favorite. We’re excited to see the cast start taking shape!

To read Deadline Hollywood’s article, go here.

Production notes, teaser trailer, and fanart… Oh my!

Production Notes

The movie adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey is in pre-production, as casting continues and locations are scouted. As previously reported by Production Weekly, the majority of filming will take place at North Shore Studios in Vancouver, Canada. However, the filming schedule has been bumped from November 5th to December 2nd. Until we hear otherwise, Team Fifty is still targeting August 1, 2014, as the U.S. release date.

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY now scheduled to begin filming December 2 thru February 20 #THEADVENTURESOFMAXANDBANKS

— Production Weekly (@prodweek) October 25, 2013

Although there’s been no word yet from author E L James or someone in Team Fifty’s camp, Variety has reported (here) that Jennifer Ehle is in negotiations to play Ana’s mother, Carla. IMDb also lists the Zero Dark Thirty actress in the role here and here. As always, we’ll keep you posted on any official updates.

Teaser Trailer

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again… We love the creativity of the FSoG fandom. This fanmade teaser trailer by Fifty Shades Queen features our brand new Christian Grey, Jamie Dornan, and his Ana, Dakota Johnson.

We really enjoyed this one. The videographer did a nice job choosing clips to coordinate with the story, and the song is beautifully haunting. Speaking of which, if anyone knows the name of the song and/or artist, let us know in the comments.

And just how Fiftyesque is Jamie looking in the opening and closing shots?!

Fanart

We hope you’re all following Victoria from Ruffles & Restraints by now. She continues to wow us with her illustrations. You can check out all of her work here. She’s also a genuinely nice person. You can follow her on Twitter here.

Lemon martini anyone?

Oh my!

We’re looking forward to creating more graphics to celebrate the Fifty Shades Trilogy by E L James in the days, months, years (!) ahead, as well as continuing to share the creative inspiration of fellow FSoG fans. You can follow our Fifty Shades Pinterest Boards here.

Fifty Shades of Grey Movie Still On Track

Obviously, the recasting of Christian caused a blip (pun intended) on our radar screen. In an exclusive interview with E!, Fifty Shades of Grey co-producer Michael DeLuca had some very calming/positive words for FSoG fans about the movie’s status.

About Dakota Johnson…

“She’s just so Anastasia Steele. She’s the best partner a producer could have.”

“She’s helping us look through the candidates to see which chemistry kind of captures our attention.”

About Christian Grey casting…

“We’re looking on your website, we’re looking under rocks in Zimbabwe, in space, on the moon. We’re looking everywhere, but I think in a couple weeks it will be announced and everything will be cool.”

About the U.S. release date…

“We’re on track. The release date [Aug. 1, 2014] is preserved and we’re gonna kind of keep going.”

About the fans…

Q: Were you shocked that everybody had such an outcry, that it got so much attention, and how close are you to recasting?

“You know, I’m not shocked because I’m part of fandom too. Like, I love my Iron Man and my Marvel comics and I’m a geek comic book collector, so I get rabid fans. And I love the books and I respect the fans. I knew there was going to be tons of attention, and there still is, on everything we do. But we’re just kind of moving on. I think there’ll be an announcement in the next few weeks. I’m excited to unleash a new Christian Grey on the world.”

E! caught up with DeLuca at the 2013 Hollywood Film Awards, where he was being honored with the Hollywood Producer Award. Congratulations, Mr. DeLuca!

• Captain Phillips supporting actor Oscar hopeful Barkhad Abdi presented the Hollywood Producer Award to Michael De Luca, who co-produced that film and many others including The Social Network and Moneyball. The Somali-born actor, who was a complete unknown prior to the release of the hit film, called De Luca, “Someone who truly helped change my life.” De Luca, in turn, acknowledged his producing partners Scott Rudin and Dana Brunetti and heaped praise on the film’s director, Paul Greengrass: “I am standing here because of all the work he did.” Source: THR

Having recently seen Captain Phillips, it will be a shock if Barkhad Abdi doesn’t get an Oscar nod for his role in the movie. The same goes for Tom Hanks in the title role. The movie is fantastic and a must see. Learn more about this movie based on heroic true events here.

Just one more reason to continue being proud to have DeLuca and Brunetti on Team Fifty… They know how to make a good movie.

You can read E!’s complete interview and watch a video clip here.

E L James Launches Fifty Shades Wine

How gorgeous is this?!

Message from E L James…

“Wine plays an important role in Fifty Shades of Grey, adding to the sensuality that pervades a number of scenes. I’ve always had a penchant for good wine, so combining two of my passions to blend Red Satin and White Silk was a natural extension of the series. I hope my readers curl up with a glass as they enjoy the romance between Anastasia and Christian.”

About Fifty Shades of Grey Wine

Red Satin is a decadent red blend of Petite Sirah and Syrah with flavors of black cherry, cocoa powder, creamy caramel and vanilla, leather and clove spice. Aged in a combination of new and neutral French oak barrels, this red blend is the perfect indulgence.

White Silk, is a delicate yet rich white blend of Gewürztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc. White Silk’s flavors include floral aromatics of lychee and honey, tempered by flavors of crisp grapefruit, mineral and lush pear with a faint hint of butterscotch. Fermented cool and aged in stainless steel tanks, this white blend offers a delicately playful experience.

_____

We’re excited about the newest addition to the official Fifty Shades of Grey merchandise line! For complete details, please visit fiftyshadeswine.com.

Source: Fifty Shades of Grey Press Pack