As we discussed yesterday, Charlie Hunnam threw a “bitch bye” at the 50 Shades of Grey production. So far, the official word is that this was Charlie’s decision and that he cited “scheduling conflicts” as his reason. Production on 50 Shades was supposed to begin in the beginning of November, so Sam Taylor Johnson (the director) basically has less than three weeks to find a replacement. Charlie has thrown everything off, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if this affected his career (in a negative way) in the years to come. While Charlie’s fans are pleased that he dropped out, and fans of 50 Shades are pleased that he won’t be playing THEIR Christian Grey, the fact of the matter is that this kind of move – so close to the production start date – reads as immature, flaky and unprofessional. So what REALLY happened? The Hollywood Reporter’s sources have some thoughts:
Charlie Hunnam is exiting Fifty Shades of Grey.
“The filmmakers of Fifty Shades of Grey and Charlie Hunnam have agreed to find another male lead given Hunnam’s immersive TV schedule, which is not allowing him time to adequately prepare for the role of Christian Grey,” Universal Pictures said in a statement.
The Sons of Anarchy actor was set to star as Christian Grey alongside Dakota Johnson in the adaptation of E L James’ best-selling book. Sam Taylor-Johnson (Nowhere Boy) is directing the film.
Sons of Anarchy ‘s production was to end Oct. 21. The production on Fifty Shades was set to start in Vancouver the first of November.
Two sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Hunnam, 33, was overwhelmed with the attention he received from being cast in the movie and got cold feet about carrying such a high-profile project. Universal was forced to hire bodyguards for the actor at a recent Sons of Anarchy premiere, where questions about Fifty Shades dominated the red carpet.
The sources caution that Hunnam had no reservations about the role of Christian Grey, just the media and fan frenzy that came along with it, especially as he was transitioning from Sons to Fifty Shades so quickly.
Hunnam’s exit leaves Universal and producers Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti in a very tough position. The studio has set an Aug 1, 2014, release for the film, and any delays in the production schedule could imperil that date.
So, basically, Charlie would have been absolutely fine with playing master spanker Christian Grey, but he was starting to get freaked out with all of the online negativity and the fact that he was getting pap’d every day on the set of SoA.
Universal Pictures and Focus Features released a joint statement too, trying to make it sound like it was all about Charlie’s need to find the character: “The filmmakers of Fifty Shades of Grey and Charlie Hunnam have agreed to find another male lead given Hunnam’s immersive TV schedule which is not allowing him time to adequately prepare for the role of Christian Grey.” Um, what “preparation”? He’s read the book. He knows what goes into it. It’s not like he’s doing Chekhov. For real.
As for who will play Christian Grey now… I have no idea. I’ve seen some sites are doing polls on who should do it, and I guess Ian Somerhalder and Matt Bomer are high on the fan-girls’ lists. Ian would do it. EL James said he was never a contender, but he’s like the only actor who really, really wants it. Matt Bomer doesn’t want to touch it, so that’s just a pipe dream. Who else should be on the list? As I’ve always said, DO NOT name legit actors. Since everything is last-minute now, they really will be casting this straight out of the CW.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
I give him a pass on this, I’m not sure he knew the crazy he was stepping into..
As for the new Christian Grey, go with a no name that way they’ll be available for all 3 if necessary? Cause you know the studio will push for a movie per book.
I think he’ll be fine. Actors walk out of films pre-production all the time. I’m sure they’ll find some unknown who will be happy to have his name associated with this piece of shyte. Cause you know it’s going to be…
It’s not a great situation (and it sure as hell wasn’t scheduling!). At worst though I think it might make studios think twice about casting him in franchises (he was del Toro’s pick for Pacific Rim, not the studio). Franchises need someone really willing to play ball, whatever the script. That said, I’m not sure he really wants that level of stardom. He may have figured out he’d be happier under the radar.
I think everyone understands. His career will survive.
I’m honestly relieved.
He’s a decent actor and he’s on a really great show that’s pretty well-received by critics. It might seem a bit unprofessional, but in the long-term, I think he made the best decision for his career.
+1
+2. If The ‘Batch can pull out of a film and not look flaky or unprofessional for it, so can Hunnam. Personally, I think Charlie just looks smarter for it.
+3
I agree.
I think this movie’s hype would have over shadowed his talent. Charlie has the respect and success right now to book character driven films that will add to his credibility. Because 50S is a series of films, it would take up YEARS of his time, making him turn down quality roles because of scheduling.
As we have seen with Pattinson, after an actor does a “Cheesy Franchise with a Rapid Following”, it makes an actor seem like they get roles for the purpose of getting asses in seats, not because the producers/directors believe in your talent. That hangs over your career like a cloud.
That’s what I was saying yesterday. Who would want to be part of that circus? It stops being about the role and starts dominating your life in every aspect. He didn’t sign on for that.
All the crazies with their panties bunched up about him taking this role I’m sure made him feel a bit defeated before he even began!! I think it was a smart move to bounce given the poor track record of book to movie adaptations, it would have probably been pretty weak anyway. Why take the heat of viewer disapproval AND a shittay movie??
I wish he could just say “I realized this movie was going to suck and didn’t want to be the butt of jokes for the rest or my life”
Exactly…
+1
This. And I wouldn’t blame him one bit for it.
+2 Such a limited audience target anyway. Glad he came to his senses. I seriously doubt this would have made him an A-lister or improved his acting credibility.
Agreed. I’m betting the warning ghost of Elizabeth Berkley visited him one night.
I think he really dodged a bullet on this one. His team should get a raise. He got 2x the publicity, industry respect for bailing on this mess, and he doesn’t have to do the film.
They should just get someone from Teen Wolf and call it a day. They need to stop trying to make this movie into something it’s not.
I agree. It really raised his profile and got him some publicity and now he actually looks pretty smart for realizing what a mess it would be and ditching it.
I don’t think it’s a huge deal that he dropped it- Happens all the time and schedules change all the time too.
I don’t know why they just don’t give it to Ian. He’s the only one who really seems to want it!
you nailed it
He DID say that, but you’d have to speak PR to understand it: “scheduling conflicts” = “OMG, get me OUTTA this dog of a movie!!!”
we all know that’s the real reason behind him dropping the role. I like to think he is smart enough to look at what this crap was already doing to his life and I’m SURE the guys on SOA were giving him sh*t for it when the cameras weren’t around and I’m certain he thought about all that and decided to back out. i can’t imagine he and his gf were loving the complete 180 his life took either. They don’t seem to like the paps and the attention and you’ve gotta know that’s what it’s gonna be like. just soooo much worse once the movie comes out. blech.
There are huge penalties for breaking a contract so this means either Charlie hadn’t signed anything yet or that the studio was equally willing to let him go, then I don’t see anything unprofessional about this. Just the way it works.
And I agree it will never be Somerhalder and Bomer was definitely never in the running as he’s gay and the studio would never have him as the star in this disaster soft porno movie catering to straight women.
I just said the same thing on another site. Him leaving was too easy, so things probably weren’t as settled as has been reported.
Or the producers don’t mind getting a re-do since the fans hated it so much and just let him go with no fuss.
They announced his casting in such a public way. It wasn’t a rumor that percolated for months only to be tacitly confirmed somewhere down the line. They made a BFD about it. So they had him locked in. But no one liked it and he wanted out so they didn’t fight. That’s how I see it.
MattB has a good career. Ian seems like the only choice. He is the only one who wants the role while others are running away and outright refusing hypothetical offers. Why are they so against casting Ian? Bad blood?
EmmaV1, I disagree about Matt Bomer. I’m a straight woman and I’ve always thought he was sooo hot. I don’t care that he’s gay, I can still fantasize about him. (That said, you couldn’t pay me to watch the 50 Shades movie, no matter who is in it.)
I agree with exactly everything you said, only replace your gay actor with John Barrowman–man, do I wish he was straight, but it doesn’t stop the fantasies.
How about Danny Trejo? ( 😆 )
Am I the only one who thinks SOA is the absolute worst acting on the planet?
Girl, I agree with you completely! The acting is awful and I am tired of hearing Katy Segal music renditions set to it as well.
It takes me forever to get through episodes now. It’s so bad. It used to be ok, but Charlie’s Jax is so blah! He has zero chemistry with anyone.
Ugh, I love the show but I second the Katey Segal songs. They always last so long, I hate it!
I’ve never seen SOA, but I did watch that movie with Charlie and Eric Bana(Deadfall?). Anyway, Charlie was…not good.
He was horrendous in Pacific Rim as well. Pretty much all the acting in that movie was horrible, but he was the worst.
Oh sad!! I love SOA and Charlie. Green Street Hooligans is my favorite movie with him. Pacific Rim I found his part kinda lame but the dialogue wasn’t exactly easy to work with. But too each their own, right?
It’s not the worst acting, but Hunnam isn’t a good actor.
As a SOA fan I can say the writers make that show. Sure many of the actors were great, but as they die off and the show gets more of a mess (and I don’t mean that in a good way.)
CH does not make the show. His and the other characters did.
So he’s not in 50 shades. Good for him. I knew a few fans of SOA and 50 shades that were not behind the casting.
He did a good job in Cold Mountain.
My wife and I were talking about that the other night, Charlie and the actress that plays his wife have actually gotten much better but are still pretty bad. I used to laugh at their dramatic scenes.
It makes him look super unprofessional. They were already in pre-production and casting supporting roles. And now they’re in a lurch. It was incredibly tacky of him to leave like that. He should have thought about it more BEFORE taking the role.
As crappy as the movie is going to be, it’s still a production that gives people JOBS. I think he’s a horrible actor anyway.
Nah, makes him look like he has the sense God gave a gnat and finally saw this for the shitshow is fixing to be!
That shit shouldnt be made with real actors, Claymation or the Team America puppets would do
I burst out laughing when I read your comment. Yes please! Can it please be claymation?
YES!!! I would actually watch it if it was in claymation or Team America puppets. I can’t decide which I’d prefer, though… I might be leaning toward the puppets.
I want Seth Green to do it like Robot Chicken! Get a bunch of Twilight Barbies, throw in some tiny whips and stuff and go to town on that crap! At least it would be funny as hell.
Bondage claymation!!! Ha!
You know those sex scenes in Team America were mad class, i don’t see why not
LMAO @ Claymation!! Ha ha…brilliant, QQ 🙂
Now THAT I’d watch. Claymation! LMAO!
I can’t believe you actually thought of a way to make me watch this steaming pile of s!
Brilliant!! I would actually watch this piece of crap if they did it in Claymation.
I give him a pass and a round of applause!
I think he read the book and was like WTF?
What the hell am I supposed to do with this drivel? 😆
I don’t see him as flaky. I think he saw all the negativity being thrown at him and decided it wasn’t right for him to take the role. Personally I think he’s attractive and oozes that sort of dangerous sexuality mr.grey should have. I would have liked to see him do it.
I hope you don’t mix up “dangerous sexuality” with “abusive” in real life too…
Agree. BDSM is not inherently abusive, but the relationship in the “book” is.
I think he was smart to drop it. Sooner would have been better but it is bound to be a shitshow.
Salman Rushdie (a real author) said it was the worst thing he had seen actually get published. As a voracious reader, I can tell you that is saying a lot. And that I agree.
I read the first book, and maybe it’s just me, but I didn’t mind the writing (although the writing has to be just flat out awful, for me to think of it as bad)–it was the story and characters that were just completely awful. I’m a very shy, introverted person, towards people that I don’t know–especially if it’s a guy trying to flirt with me–but NO, I am not having fights with my “inner goddess” (or whatever the hell that was), I know how to use a computer (wtf??), nor do I go on helicopter rides with a dude that I met at my work (who stalked me there, so romantic)–who was there buying rope.
There is a way to make a shy, introverted character (who likes to read, cook/bake) without making her into some 1950s housewife, who does whatever her husband/SO tells her to.
My issue with the book was just the whole premise of a guy who is a clearly seasoned dominant, deliberately going after a young girl who knows nothing about BDSM, and in fact doesn’t want to know about BDSM (from the first book, at least–I never read the other three). That’s just a disgusting basis, to begin with, to me. I don’t know anyone who is into bdsm, but I think it’s common sense to date someone who is into the same kinky sex that you are.
AND THEN instead of making it a plausible storyline (like her running like hell when she found out he likes to tie girls down and whip them, etc), she still sees him. Ummm, if I ain’t into that, I don’t care how hot the guy is–I’m not letting him touch me–although I may make an exception if Liam Neeson is into some pretty freaky things (I’m finally LEGAL–and as soon as I get out of school, I’m going to London!!-I wish 🙁
But that’s how I felt about the book.
besides who wants to do with all the cray cray fans who feel as if they know best
Oh please-actors drop out of roles all the time and not all of them do it before production starts.
While he should have been more aware of everything he was signing on to, I’m not going to fault him for having the sense to extract himself from it.
I don’t see him as flaky and unprofessional. He’s smart to get out of a movie that might hurt his career momentum plus actors drop out of movies all the time.
My guess is Alex Pettyfer.
I was just going to suggest him. He’s a handsome douche, so playing Christian Grey wouldn’t be much of a stretch.
This would actually make sense to me. His career is going nowhere anyway and he’s apparently a huge d*ck in real life so would deserve this mess.
I think Hunnam is willing to take the hit about seeming unprofessional, rather than the much larger one that this pile of poop will be.
He’s not exactly Olivier but he’s made the right choice. This movie will be poison to anyone associated with it. It’ll make money but your career will be a joke. I can’t even see it having the hammy cult following of Showgirls (a movie I unashamedly love).
whether we like it or not, this movie is going too huge. It will change the actors lives and most likely typecast them. People will always bring it up to them, so I don’t fault him for walking away. It would have been nice to give them more notice, but I think he was a little naive to think it wasn’t going to bring him attention.
I think by ‘prepare’ they meant lose weight. There was alot of talk via the studios that he was to buff for the role.
It’s ridiculous of course.
And I don’t think this will ‘ruin’ his career. Actors drop out of films prior to production all the time-this one just made the news. It’s not like he was unprofessional on set and got fired (which happens as well)
It is a tad unprofessional, whatever problems he had with it should have been thought through by him and his team a few weeks ago when he was raving about the “amazing chemistry” between him and Dakots. That being said, not sad for any sort of inconvenience this causes for this movie, it has been such a difficulty putting together a concrete cast list that they should pretty much not be surprised and they should have alternatives in mind already. And this isn’t going to hurt his career one bit, he’s hot and a pretty good actor and he has other things in the works.
Given that the fan frenzy is going to be equal, if not worse than what Rob Pattinson faced (faces?) I couldn’t blame anybody for backing the hell away.
(God, this project looks terrible on all sides. But I have vehement loathing for the books)
It not uncommon for actors to drop out of movies. His career will be just fine in the long run.
I’m also sure that there was a clause in his contract stating till when he could drop out.
I don’t think dropping this will ruin his career. Actors leave movies all the time. Fassbender and Jude Law left Jane’s Got a Gun close to production start date. Cumberbatch left Crimson Peak (granted it’s start date was a couple months off). Neither one of those folks are considered unprofessional.
If this movie wasn’t so high profile and Hunnam left close to the start of filming, no one would blink an eye.
I’ve seen people online talk about James Scott from Days of Our Lives. Don’t know a thing about the man or his acting, but looking at his photo-he might be the best they can get. I would bet if Ian S was offered the part, he’d turn it down since EL James was previously like, “NEVER!” I doubt Bomer was ever in contention, other then in fans minds, and if he was, he wouldn’t do it.
Pettyfer is too young and I think he just committed to a new Lee Daniel’s movie starting to shoot in the New Year.
Don’t disagree re people dropping out – it is pretty common. What doesn’t typically happen is that the actors give a number of high profile interviews to outlets in the entertainment industry about taking the role, how much thought they gave it, etc., before dropping out. Fassbender and Cumberbatch never discussed those roles and they moved on. What Hunnam will catch is flack that he blinked after knowing this role would be highly visible before and after – not sure it makes him flaky, it wouldn’t have helped him in his acting aspirations much, but it does shine a light on either his advisors or his thought process about his career to have gone that far and then back off. He’ll be fine, they’ll move on, but it will come up for a few years in his interviews. And no doubt he’ll talk about it at some stage and we’ll hear the real reason because absolutely no one believes it’s SOA.
I never thought he was hot enough. I’m glad he dropped out. I don’t love the books, but I will still go see the movie with friends 🙂
I would love to see Ian Somerholder do it, he is so hot!! And he wants it, win win.
Win win? If they push the movie’s start date half a year so a CW actor is available to film, you know they were desperate. That is worst case scenario for the film makers!
Why would say you will go see a movie from a book you didn’t love and you now have no idea who will be in it? That makes no sense. Why are Twihards and fans of these books so EASY?! They are the female version of Transformers fanboys; they’ll watch any crap.
Wow! Lots of hostility for an early Monday morning. I said I didn’t love the book, I did like it. I will go see it for the same reason I saw Magic Mike. Mindless fun 🙂
So you don’t care if it is a good movie? You’ll just go. Mindless fun and bad don’t have to go hand in hand. Movie fans need to demand better.
At least there’s explosions in Transformers. There’s absolutely nothing in Twilight besides terrible dialog and I try not to be rude in movie theaters and snark so I can’t even do that. -.-
If he wanted a career he needed to get the heck out of Dodge. I feel for any actor who gets involved with that mess.
GMA said they are trying to tap Alexander Skarsgaard for the role. PLEASE GOD NOOOOOOO! Surely ASkars is smarter than that. PLEASE!
Luckily Alex will be busy. The Giver is filming, the South Pole trek is after that and then TB starts filming at the beginning of the year.
And thank god for that!
Ugh, why won’t this movie just DIE?
Good to know. Good to know. Whew!
He wouldn’t do it even if he was available.
Charlie is good looking but not a very talented actor. I don’t think he would have contributed much to helping the box office for the movie either.
No big loss for either side.
He probably read the book and realised it was shite and that the whole sex part was stolen from the film ‘Secretary’ where James Spader’s character is called… wait for it… Mr Grey!
“Hello, this is the office of E. Edward Grey…..”
LOVE that movie!
Finally! Charlie got in touch with the sense God gave him and got the hell out of dodge. While I agree that Charlie isn’t exactly the next Heath Ledger, he is still too talented for this crap. I think this was the best choice he could have made for his career. Of course, I’m still pissed that he agreed to it in the first place.
There is only one Mr. Grey and it isn’t Christian! Secretary was such a wonderful film and E. Edward Grey (James Spader) was brilliant in it, as was Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee Holloway.
Oh God. I still can’t believe this is happening. God Damn it. I was ENJOYING finally being free of the Twilight Bullshit. And don’t try to tell me that this isn’t Twilight, because it is. It’s Twilight on misogyny supplements.
I’ll admit, when I started reading the first book, I found it hilarious, because I sort of looked at it as a porn parody of Twilight. But good God, they get so horrible so quickly. EL James makes Stephenie Meyer look like George Elliot. Take out even the hideously sexist undertones, the stalkerish/rapey/abusive nature of the relationship glorified in this shit, and you have a shit ton of bad writing. Awful grammar, stupid cliches, no logic whatsoever (I didn’t think faulty logic could be an issue in a book that has no plot, but this book manages. She’s a college student with no computer OR EMAIL ADDRESS [even though every college in the world these days issues students their own email], she can’t afford a computer or a car that isn’t a death trap, but she can afford frequent round trip flights between Seattle and Atlanta throughout the year. Um, okay.). Just complete garbage and now we’re going to have to deal with another multi-year bout of inescapable mania that comes with the movies (and yes, the third book WILL be split up into two movies, I bet you anything).
I just want this to go away? Why can’t it just go away? Haven’t we suffered enough?
Gods, yes. I couldn’t even get to the part I knew I would hate (if you know anything about BDSM then that relationship is so obviously predatory and abusive and just plain doesn’t have anything to do with well-informed consensual kink) because I could not get past the attrocious writing.
It represents the worst part of fanfiction (and I love fanfiction, hell I *write* fanfiction, there is *awesome* fanfiction around) of an already terrible canon material. Urgh.
Oh, I know. I’ve read up on BDSM and all the various rules modern people involved in that community have set up SPECIFICALLY to guard against abuse. You can have an S&M relationship without it being abusive/stalkerish. Anastasia and Christian’s relationship doesn’t fit that description. At all.
Every time some grown woman gushes over Christian Grey, I just want to shake her and make her watch 80s afterschool specials. He is literally every Lifetime movie stalker/abusive boyfriend/bad guy rolled into one, except he’s a hot millionaire with a sad childhood, the poor baby.
There was this great review where the critic goes, “Okay, all you ladies who think Christian Grey is some kind of wonderful man. I want you to think of all the things Christian Grey does in this book. Then a man doing all these things, but he looks like this:” and then put a picture of an unattractive, creepy looking dude. Seriously, it’s proof of how superficial we are. If these writers didn’t go on and on about how handsome Christian Grey/Edward Cullen was, it would not be considered romantic.
I have a few acquaintances who said (with all honesty) that those books changed their lives for the better. These are women in their 30’s and 40’s.
These acquaintances will not be moving into the friend category. Ugh.
My cousin was gushing about these books on Facebook for one straight month, saying Christian Grey is her fantasy man, she’d see Christian Grey in her dreams, looking for Christian Grey in real life, Christian is her inspiration, etc.
And then I pointed out how Christian is an abusive, manipulative jerk. She wouldn’t hear of it. Some of her friends were squealing with glee about how “romantic” Christian Grey is and how lucky Anastasia is to have a man like Christian. I took her off my News feed so I don’t have to read about any of her ramblings anymore. But not before telling her off and recommending she read good and properly written erotica.
The problem with many of the readers of this 50 Shades drivel is it’s their first foray into erotica literature. So whatever they read, they assume it to be correct and tantalizing because of the graphic descriptions. Repeat that Christian Grey is rich, handsome, great body, etc. over and over and it fuels the fantasy of having a man who has it all.
A lot of people are also quite taken with the possessive, jealous type of male protagonist but that can quickly devolve to abusive, brutish, and crude without the “inexperienced” reader knowing the difference between terribly-written smut vs. proper erotica novel.
You’re not far off with your assertion. These books literally were adapted from her porny Twilight fanfiction.
Yup. The guy at the hardware store was Jacob and the Christian guy was Shovel Face.
I think Twilight may be one reason he dropped out. The actors in Twilight have found themselves in a place where they will always be mentioned along with the characters they played. While the franchise was wildly successful for them when it was going on, Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart will be spending years trying to get away from being Edward and Bella.
Charlie will be fine I think. This just wasn’t it for him.
Actors (and directors) drop out of movies all the time. This will not affect his career. In fact, it might enhance his standing in Hollywood since he will be seen as smart enough to realize this movie would not be good for him.
I have no clue who will play the lead but I agree it won’t be anyone anybody knows and it won’t be Matt Bomer. Not because he’s gay but because he has stated several times that he doesn’t want it. Smart man.
(I read on some site yesterday that some people were suggesting Scott Eastwood. I think his Daddy might advised against it though.)
If he is really smart, he would not accept the role in the first place. Also he is very replaceable among actors in his age range. I don’t think he can become a legit movie star. He doesn’t have the work ethic required for a movie star.
I don’t think this makes him look flaky … I think it makes him look smart. Granted, he’d have been smarter to never take the role in the first place, but at least he got out.
Casting straight out of the CW? How about Chace Crawford. He’s very pretty. Sadly, even he probably has better things to do. Everyone does. I can’t believe Jennifer Ehle signed on. She’s way too good for this. Maybe she’s a friend of Sam’s.
Yeah, Chace Crawford is hot. You know what he’s famous for? Gossip Girl. On The CW. So casting out of The CW is an accurate statement.
Yes, I do. That’s why I mentioned him and the CW. 😉
Thank you, Charlie!
Can you imagine the onslaught of “petitions” that will be drawn up now? They will think everything can be done by petition now.
It reads as unprofessional to me but he wouldn’t be the first actor to drop out and leave a production high and dry weeks before filming. The should just get a model who wants to be an actor so they should just get a model.
Pullling out is all in the timing- to suggest he didn’t know the subject matter/ books until 2 wks bef filming starts is nuts. I am still of the opinion this parting of the ways is at least 50/50. However, if I worked for his PR team, I would be quashing the notion that he was scared off by negative reactions on the Internet. That does make him look like a ninny. Do you see Ben A leaving the new superman movie? He didn’t get ringing endorsements, either. But did he quit? No.
That’s cos Ben gets something for doing that movie. He’s taking it so the studio will back some vanity projects. I’m guessing.
It’s only unprofessional if there is a contractual agreement and he weasels out of it or breaches it in some way.
I’m beginning to doubt that this deal or agreement was completed, but think it was conditional on his SOA commitments.
SOA has two more season to go.
I’m surprised no one has thrown out Tom Welling. What’s not to like about him?
He’d be perfect!
A few people on other comment boards have mentioned Tom Welling. He was Clark Kent right? I think that might be a problem. Anyone who plays Superman is forever a boy scout.
No! No!No! I love Tom Welling too!!!
Now it gets interesting. Remember all that BS about chemistry and that is why that old looking girl was cast? So now that the chemistry of the century is gone will they recast her as well or just admit no one else wanted it.
Ian S. is a way better actor than Charlie. I watch vampire diaries and SoA and Ian is charming and Charlie is just dull. I actually want better for Ian S. What if this is the excuse to get Sam Taylor Johnson’s husband in the role?
I remember reading that he said he didn’t want it, and that was before Charlie was announced.
Moving around your eyebrows a lot doesn’t really count as “acting” in my opinion.
I think someone told him to cut it out because it isn’t that bad anymore. He’s just more engaging than Charlie is. I have a soft spot for Ian but not a ladyboner. I don’t know why I care. I won’t see the movie and hated the book and a half I read.
I think he’s probably been wondering for a while how to get out of this mess and finally had to fall back on scheduling conflicts.
I don’t watch the CW but if that doesn’t work out, maybe try basic cable. That guy from the Kate Hudson/Gennifer Goodwin rom com guest spots on Rizzoli and Isles… he’s got dark hair and his former Calvin Klein model’s body, maybe he could do it. His name’s on the tip of my tongue……. I think he did a soap too…..
Straight from the CW? How about “I’m Chuck Bass?” Ed Westwick.
Exactly what I was thinking. Chuck is basically a younger, less abusive, more charming Christian grey. But I like Ed Westwick so I wouldn’t wish that on him.
Lets not make this into something it’s not. I give him a pass. People do it all the time. Just not in the cards.
Yes, I believe the choice makes him look flaky and unprofessional, and that the industry will agree. Good luck!
Also his acting in Pacific Rim is awful. Such an actor is very replaceable. He will never become a legit leading man on big screen,
I can’t see the film being that successful. The books sold very well, but UK charity shops have been flooded for the last few months with copies of 50 Shades. They cannot sell them and are inundated.
People bought the books, then realised what crap they are and were embarrassed to have them around. The films will be tarred with the same brush of crappy embarrassment.
I think being in 50 Shades would have hurt his career far more than backing out. He woke up, for whatever reason, and realized this. The book is vile; the author has tons of say in the movie; therefore the movie will also be vile. Charlie had a choice of either going through life as “TV star who backed out of one terrible project” or “guy who was happy to play an Abuser Extraordinaire in that misogynistic pro-rape filth.”
I think it will hurt him a tiny bit, more because of the rumor about fan gossip scaring him off than anything else. It makes him seem flighty. But it’s still better for his career than being in 50 Shades would have been.
As for the new Christian, I’m wondering of they might find another celebuspawn for the role. It seems like there’s too much of a time crunch to test every actor/waiter in LA, and the list of working actors who want the part and are acceptable to them sounds limited.
Sacha Baron Cohen and Justin Beiber in a wig.
Though QQs Claymation idea is best.
I’ve never read these books and won’t but man I am SICK of people thinking that what this hack wrote (according to the descriptions I’ve read) is what BDSM is all about. It’s so not. There are discussions beforehand about what will happen and safe words and all kinds of things like that…when done right it is not in any way abusive or degrading. It’s painfully obvious that the author had absolutely no experience with real BDSM.
Yes, this exactly.
I am very afraid that there are predators out there pretending to be doms who will use these lying, horrific books to find victims. And maybe a potential victim might read your comment and be warned, so thank you for making it.
(Just as a start, for anyone who does not know: DOMS DO NOT MAKE SUBS SIGN CONTRACTS. And if you have been subjected to this abusive tactic, the “contract” is not enforceable. Run away as fast as you possibly can.)
Julian McMahon would be perfect if he was a bit younger!
having never read the books and wont see the movie, my suggestion is the guy who plays Ichabod Crane on Sleepy Hollow, he is HOT!
NOOO!!!!!!!! Tim Mison is freaking awesome and I would not wish this horrible 50 Shades role on him.
not one person said it but maybe he dropped out because the director is super-de-DUPER creeptastic. maybe he looked into those sunken, deep set eyes and ran for ze hils. feets dont fail me now.
I think he dodged a bullet. This movies is slated to be a hot mess. It might sell a lot of tickets but I don’t think it’s going to help an actors career in the long run. Charlie is a decent actor – he doesn’t need that character to be the albatross of his career.
I think he dodged a load of buckshot, never mind a bullet. This movie could be career suicide for everyone involved in it.
Please, Hunnam dodged a bullet. A lot of insiders (according to The Wrap and Deadline) are saying that boy-o dodged a bullet. In terms of leading men- if Cromagon Channing Tatum can be a leading man anyone can. Charlie Hunnam is white, fairly buff, and is a reasonable actor (I think anyway). He isn’t Olivier, no, but he will do.
He cancelled the apocalypse- of his career. No one would have taken him seriously after that movie. No. One. Then with him being tied to three of those films if the first one did well (but was derided) he’d be toast.
Hunnam will be FINE.
Leave Channing Tatum alone. And he is much smarter than Charlie Hannam.
Danny DeVito.
Even after Charlie has broken the contract, the movie company benefitted from the publicity he generated from being involved. They are still better off than if he hadn’t considered the role.
He look more sensible and wanting a real career. Think about the Twilight actors, they will forever be labelled with Twilight and will never be offered those academy awarding performances. It’s 50 Shades of Grey, no one will blame him for backing out. He should have never accepted it in the first place.
You know they really should learn a lesson when public rejected Charlie. Fans of the book (the viewers for that crap movie)hated Charlie in that role. Producers should read fan forums and choose actor who people would except.
They should beg Matt Bomer and give him big paycheck or let Ian Somerhalder do it because he wants it. There would be no angry petitions if they would choose Ian. He is perfect pretty douchebag who doesn’t look like he grew up in farm. Like Charlie did.
As if the public backlash was an objective reaction to the casting. No offense to the 50 Shades fans here, but for the most part, that fanbase comes across as shrill harpies, a fanbase that most male celebrities run away from, not towards, hence the major exodus that’s happening with rom-coms. Matthew McConaughey is making his escape right now, with his film choices; Pitt got his freedom papers when he ditched Aniston; Clooney and Butler’s lifestyle/socializing choices keep them at arms lengths.
This Charlie dude is entirely too young to be swallowed up by these annoying, cloying, tactless, overreaching ‘fans’ who would have likely remained parked in their computer desk chairs than actually showing up, even if their personal choices were cast.
5 bucks says the director will put her “child-husband” in the role…..takers?
Oh great, let’s keep infantilizing men! That has worked wonders so far!
Seriously, i’m so sick of the double standards. He is a grown a*s man! Stop making her into some kind of predator ffs.
And I’m Aaron’s age but no one says a thing when old men hit on young girls/women or god forbid date/marry them.
Thankyou If Sam were a man there would be very few complaints.
I was actually looking forward to Charlie playing the role 🙁
I say Alex Petyfair too. He basically has nothing to lose by doing it, and he’s not above doing things that require him to take off his clothes. Liam Hemsworth would be nice to look at too.
Stephen Amell from Arrow seemed pretty interested in the role a while back. I predict that it’ll be him, and he’ll look amazing through the whole thing. (I’ll watch it on Netflix with the sound off and remote at the ready for fast-forwarding.)
No, it won’t be Amell. And he was never interested.
Back in June, he mentioned when asked that he’d had a meeting with producers about the role. He didn’t seem keen then. Earlier in May, he wrote in a Facebook post that he’d read the book on a flight, and he made it clear that he wasn’t a fan. At all.
http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/celebrity/543294/fifty-shades-of-grey-movie-stephen-amell-explains-role-snub.html#index=1
Hollywood is littered with awful casting decisions that killed many a career:
Hayden Christiansen – Star Wars
Elizabeth Berkeley – Showgirls
The kid from The Sixth Sense – whatever he was next in
Meg Ryan – that movie about boxing
Someone gave Charlie great career advice.
Just give it to Ian already.
I love Charlie and do not think he looks “unprofessional.” However, he was wrong for the part and he knew it. Apart from Jessie Pavelka (who never even got a call, even though he came from out of nowhere to soar to the top of fan polls… for good reason), Hunam was the (2nd) best choice. All the other names out there are ridiculously unsuited. I know Lisa Renee Jones’ fans would love to see Charlie playing artist, Chris Merritt, in the STARZ production of her Inside Out series. The frenzy would be considerably less and the character is awesome. Casting begins shortly…