Never have I seen all of this angst over a successful film. As soon as Fifty Shades of Grey made crazy money during its opening weekend, everyone involved with the film lost their damn minds. Sam Taylor Johnson is likely going to jump ship. Universal can’t get their act together to formally announce the sequel. Dakota Johnson and Jamie are… well, they haven’t lost their minds, they just seem sort of over it in general. But E.L. James is probably the worst person involved here. Universal gave her unprecedented authority over her (Twihard fan-fic) material. The books are crap and Sam Taylor Johnson and screenwriter Kelly Marcel worked hard to make the film into something watchable and enjoyable, with E.L. James second-guessing them and pulling her weight around the entire time. Now, Variety reports, E.L. wants to try her hand at screenwriting. She wants to assert control over the script for Fifty Shades Darker.
Now that “Fifty Shades of Grey” has become an international box office phenomenon, author E.L. James is seeking more control over the sequel by writing the script herself. Universal Pictures, which had been resistant to the idea, is currently discussing the potential move with James, who wrote the bestselling erotic trilogy about Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, Variety has learned.
Given the success of “Fifty Shades of Grey,” which has so far grossed more than $300 million worldwide, the next logical step would be for the studio to announce the greenlight to its sequel, “Fifty Shades Darker.”
According to insiders, the delay in the production of “Fifty Shades Darker” is related to the fact that Universal execs and James are still arguing over details. Unlike most successful franchises, which aim to retain the team behind the first film, it appears that “Fifty Shades” will undergo a dramatic creative reshuffling in the weeks to come. Sources close to the project don’t expect director Sam Taylor-Johnson or screenwriter Kelly Marcel to be back for the second installment, though reps for the studio say no official decisions have been made.
“The studio had always intended to sit down with the author after the film opened and discuss next steps, and that has not yet happened,” said a Universal spokesman.
If James does write the screenplay for “Fifty Shades Darker,” it could mean a later release date for the sequel. James has never written a film before, and the studio may need to factor in extra time for revisions. But as in the case of Gillian Flynn, who wrote both the book and screenplay for “Gone Girl,” the project could potentially benefit from an author adapting her own characters. Because of this uncertainty, production on “Fifty Shades Darker” likely won’t get under way until the first quarter of 2016. That would mean the sequel wouldn’t arrive until late 2016 or the first quarter of 2017. Without a shooting script or start date, having the movie ready for next year’s Valentine’s Day is highly unlikely.
I bet Universal’s executives are banging their heads against the desk right about now. Why did they ever give E.L. so much control? I mean, they’re making money, for sure, but is all of that money worth the stupid headaches and constant bickering coming from E.L.’s authority. It would be different if E.L. was more well-versed in the filmmaking process, the give and take of ideas, the collaboration of it all. It would also help if she could write worth a damn. Instead, the sequel is going to be full of references to “down there,” Ana’s “inner goddess” and MOAR lip-biting.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Somebody really needs to tell her that the books were only popular because they were so terrible it was amazing.
It’s so close to Twilight that is boring.
Well, it’s Twilight fanfic. And a fanfic that didn’t improve on the original, but was even worse.
I read this article two days ago and just started laughing, has she really become delusional enough to think that all those books sold and all those movie tickets actually mean she has writing talent?
Yes! YES! YYYAAASS!
Let her write the second one. Let her write and DIRECT the third one. Then I might finally be able to get my hate watch on truly effectively. Bring on the inner goddess. Bring on the tampons.
Haven’t seen “50 Shades” yet (same sitch as Twilight – I will watch them eventually but good god, I will never be able to finish the books) but from what people are telling me, there wasn’t enough properly “sexy” sex?
Side note – am fascinated that EL James’ contract hasn’t leaked yet. I’m dying to know just HOW MUCH control she has.
Why stop there, why not let her play all the characters eddie murphy style.
eva, this is the best idea ever!
I cannot stop laughing thinking about that scenario.
LMAO. If she would only metaphorically ball-gag her writing..
Considering the haircut they gave Dakota Johnson to look like a young James (people have tried to argue this with me, I will never budge), you know she would be ok with that. I think Dornan would stay though. Somehow 😉
Then it may be watchable!
I might actually pay to see that one.
Well we know she can play Mrs Robinson spouting her huge egotistical rant at Anastsia during Christian’s Birthday party in the second book.
this woman is a talentless self-entitled monster.
It makes me livid that this untalented insult to decent writers everywhere has been such a success. She couldn’t write her way out of a paper bag. I’m amazed that anyone who loves writing could finish her book, let alone the millions who read it. It makes me sad.
I dislike being shamed for having read or enjoyed the book. It was entertaining for what it was in its own terrible way. Also I worked up the nerve to read real erotica. The book was good in that it got me comfortable with the idea of the genre and intetested in seeking something better.
As a writer, I feel awful knowing that her crappy books are famous and great books aren’t. She sucked the entire story out of someone else books! I read two paragraphs and my brain almost exploded.
I’m on your side Nayru. We’re definitely not the only ones who did. I find lots of books boring, but this was entertaining in a terrible way. I haven’t read any others like them, but maybe sometime.
I enjoyed reading it. I also enjoy reading Rilke and Rumi. Whatever floats your boat! 🙂
@Nayru, you can read whatever you want. You have every right. And I have every right to think these books are trash and that it’s a shame they are popular. Literature is a gift to us, and reading is one of the greatest treasures of my life. I read the first 40 pages of FSOG, and it was the worst writing I have ever experienced. If you enjoyed it as “light entertainment,” that’s your business. I’m glad you resolved some of your sexual issues or whatever that was. Nobody should be ashamed to be sexual or to read erotica. But don’t expect me to applaud you for helping promote an untalented hack when there are so many brilliant unpublished writers out there. This book will only encourage publishers to go for the trash instead of the quality because that’s what sells. Bookstores are going out of business and reading is dying. It’s a shame to me. I’m entitled to my opinion.
I thought the book was terrible too. I just think the harsher judgement should be for the book and not the people who read it.
I certainly wasn’t asking you to applaud me. I think being super judgmental and calling people stupid or sheep who may have read/ enjoyed it (as many people have, not you) is not the way to encourage a better literary environment.
If you think other books out there are better than rather than hating on the people who read 50 shades people should be talking about the literature that people should be reading instead.
I understand what you are saying and at the time I didn’t know the full nature of the book in its abusive relationship when I first read it but I have no shame in having read it. I do admit that having this knowledge now I will not pay to see the movie just like I refused to pay to see the Twilight movies.
Edit: Further my main point is just because it was popular doesn’t mean everyone loved it. It could have been just an introduction to other pieces more worthy of attention so I don’t think it is necessarily that sad
As someone with an extremely soft spot for trash genre (I find it’s trashiness very amusing) I read the first book and didn’t find it even amusing in a terrible way, the book was just terribly bad, of such low quality you don’t find in that love novels that come with some gossip magazines (in my county at least there are such love novels in magazines, and I sometimes read those too, because they are entertaining in a terrible way).
But as someone who loves reading since forever, 50 Shades of Gray was just insulting for the literature and for the amazing ability that humans learned thousands of years ago – writing, I seriously couldn’t believe that someone got that book, read it and said ‘This, this is the thing that is worth publishing and we should do it. Oh, and we won’t make any changes in the text because the vocabulary and grammar are good enough already’.
And what in the world is that ‘inner goddess’ thing, who thinks of themselves that way? Is she a split personality or what?!
@Nayru, I don’t mind when people disagree with me. That’s what makes the world go around. What I do mind, a lot, is when someone puts words in my mouth and gets all self-righteous towards me for something I never said. And I NEVER called the readers of this book stupid or said they were sheep. So if you want to discuss my opinion, please don’t lie about it. If you can’t have an honest discussion, please don’t address me. I don’t have time or interest in defending opinions I never said I held.
You must not have read my comment. I put in parenthese (other people, not you) so I never said you made that argument. I was making a general argument that wasn’t necessarily directed entirely towards you. I think you are taking it a bit too personally, in my opinion. If you are going to get upset about something at least read the actual response.
@Nayru, I’m so sorry, I don’t know how I missed that. I apologize.
If you don’t like the books/don’t approve/think they are illiterary or whatever, just don’t read them. It’s pretty straightforward, no?
I couldn’t finish it. It was truly terrible writing. Laughably terrible. I teach Creative Writing and if a student brought me something so badly written, I’d tell them I can’t even get through the first draft and send it back to them unread.
It is a shame that such good writers go unnoticed and this hack writes about bondage and whatever and is a super duper star. Ugh.
My comment came out harsh. My sadness is that I think this book is popular because of the topic, which is outside the range of the usual for most people, so it is very interesting to many people. I am sad that such a bad writer became so successful with this topic, when I am sure many other writers write about this topic and do it much more skillfully.
I wasn’t criticizing the actual topic or saying that it shouldn’t be written about. Each to his/her own. I just wish a better writer got famous for doing it. Erotica doesn’t have to be trashy.
@Jib
That’s all I was trying to say, too. I have nothing against erotica, just bad writing.
@Megan
No, it’s not that simple. But everybody won’t get that and I’m tired of talking about it.
GNAT
With you all the way here. You’ve clearly developed a way to read my thoughts. *golf clap*
I read the books. And some of you know my grasp on the english laguage is not always stellar. This book set me back! The errors and overall poor story telling was tough to get past. The book as a whole was not enjoyable imo because it was so poorly described.
To read stories in print is an art. The classics demonstrate a way to tell a tale with skill. EL should not be praised as a talented author.
I would say this was entertaining for a hateread at best if I wasn’t worried it undid some language skills of mine.
@ GNAT: Honestly, the books aren’t even my main beef with this woman. They (or rather, what I’ve read … which was 100 pages) are horribly written and even for someone like me who only spreaks English as a second language, they were an insult to my mind. Especially because I cannot for the life of me understand how an editor survived reading and releasing them with their dignity intact. I don’t have high standards for my schmoopy porn, I really don’t. But this was too much.
However, what makes me furious is that they gave her so much veto power when it came to the movie. Sam T-J and Kelly Marcel are good at what they do, true professionals. And yet, they had to let this hack p*ss all over it. Those aren’t really her characters! She stole them. Even the people who liked the books (hey, to each their own) are pretty much all of the opinion that she’s a hacky writer and just copied from someone else. Hollywood is insane. Studios and production companies have lost their minds when they give an untalented person like her ANY power. Maybe they were high, who knows. So to everyone who read the books and doesn’t want to be shamed for it: I have no problem with your taste. I do have a problem with the fact that as a result of your taste, this woman now thinks of herself as an “auteur”. That is unacceptable.
Just coming on to say thank you for speaking up, GNAT. Good stories and great writing are such a gift to humanity. It makes my blood boil that this untalented writer is having so much success when much better writers wallow in obscurity and can’t make a living at their craft.
Apparently people enjoying reading about someone abusing another person…that’s just great
I’ve never bothered to write a novel, despite having decent skills, because I’m reasonably certain the result would be mediocre at best. I feel a certain envy/amazement that:
A. someone could write and proudly claim ownership of the crappy “grey” trilogy.
B. could become obscenely wealthy from said crappy “grey” trilogy.
Having stated the above, if I were E.L. James, I would have been satisfied with the first two accomplishments rather than be forever associated with a perfect “trifecta of artistic sh*t” award for authoring, producing and directing bad screenplay. But then again, I would have to be E.L. James, and I have too much integrity for that. I guess my integrity will have to keep me warm in my old age.
It disturbs me to hear that her 50 Shades books have sold more than any others in the history of the UK, but I have read that that’s the case. (Somebody correct me if what I read wasn’t accurate – please!) I mean, in the land of Shakespeare? Hell, even in the land of Harry Potter. This E.L. James phenomenon is depressing for anyone who reads, and it’s even more depressing for those of us who are writers by profession. But I nausea-read all three of them, trying to figure out if there was something there I didn’t understand – or to see if maybe the sequels got progressively better. They didn’t. And that inner-goddess drivel occurred on pretty much every page. I hated the books so much that I deleted them from my Kindle library, just in case after I die someone might go in there and see that I’d read them. And after reading them, I think it’s possible my life-expectancy has been shortened.
Your Kindle comment made me laugh. I tried to read them, because I liked the idea of “intelligent erotica” but that’s not what I found at all. I hope you live a long and happy life in spite of your detour from good books. Lol
I couldn’t get through them either.
I didn’t even make it past the first chapter before I wanted to ceremonially burn the book out of existence. I like to write for fun in my spare time and a huge proportion of my student loan was spent in book stores seeking out new stories – it’s genuinely painful to know that so many wonderful books are being ignored in favour of this cat litter.
E.L James is an absolute joke. She isn’t capable of writing a birthday card, let alone a screenplay.
The only way I managed to get the jist of the plot was after reading this (hilarious) blog that absolutely skewered it; http://bizzybiz.blogspot.co.uk
That’s the exact impression I get, too.
I say let her write it with this: http://www.artsupplies.co.uk/img_item/griffin-eraser-wb___large.jpg
She needs a huge reality check. Doubt it would register with her though.
I probably wouldn’t hate FSoG so much if EL James wasn’t a talentless thief. Her existence offends me. She’s insanely delusional, have you seen her preening at the movies promotion, at every red carpet like she started in the movie or her & the cast are bestie’s. Homegirl is thirsty.
Maybe E.L. has noticed how many critics praised Sam Taylor-Johnson and Kelly Marcel for turning this book into a watchable movie. Now she probably feels the need to prove that she and her text is all that’s needed.
She and her text…..that she stole off Stephenie Meyer, LOL. Stephenie’s story, Kelly Marcel’s’ screenplay, and Sam Taylor-Johnson’s direction, but EL James thinks it’s all her. Poor Jamie D and Dakota – they are stuck no matter what the studio ends up doing.
Stephanie Meyer’s books were highly derivative of Anne Rice and Charlaine Harris so I’ll give James a (very) small pass there.
I hope Jamie and Daokta make a sh$t ton of money from this mess.
Jamie and Dakota knew where they were getting into.
Exactly.
It’s true, the reviews haven’t been too kind but the people who came out of it looking good were Taylor-Johnson, Marcel, and Dakota J. Dornan doesn’t look too great but at the end of the day, everyone blames all the problems on E.L. James. On the source material and her “veto power”. In my opinion, she didn’t do herself any favors when she wanted to meddle. Now everone assumes (and I suspect rightfully so, we do know her level of “talent”) that every issue the movie has is due to her meddling. Why didn’t she just stay out of it and buy herself an island or something? Girl, you suck but you are rich. Go enjoy it.
Watched the movie, HATED it. 15 minutes in and I was deciding on leaving, which I never did before. Horrible material. But much worse was the reaction of the audience who behaved like 12-year-olds. Giggeling and talking when a scene got “steamier”. Awful how that junk is so popular and I deeply regret paying 13 € for this.
Why on earth with would you pay to watch that movie unless you were a fan of the book? As for me I plan to sneak into it in the future. I think half the fun of watching terrible movies is the audience reaction.
Birdie, I don’t go to the movie theater much because no matter what you go to see, the audience acts like that. Giggling, talking, and then of course cell phones. I remember going to the movies before cell phones ringing and people texting. Did you read the book ? What kind of classy beautiful movie were you expecting
Haha, I had no expectations to be honest. Didn’t read the book, wanted to see what the fuss was about.
If this is an option for you- suggest either weekday matinees or Sunday am- do both and 99% of the time none of that happens. Of course, attendance is much lower, so that helps. One caveat- this is inapplicable for summer blockbusters-😃
Saw it with my girlfriends. I spent the entire movie commenting back to them as all they did was talking, laughing, screaming and moaning at every f…scene. It was good though to be there. The movie theater was warm, i had lots of popcorns and i had my boyfriend texting me all the time (he was not there as he was not invited) and arranging a sex date later. After the movie my friends were like: “That’s all???”
I also read the books. My inner goddess is dead because of that
If EL James ever had any self awareness or perspective on her (dubious) abilities, that time is long past. She seems to exist entirely within a prism of praise from her disturbingly invested acolytes who just continue to reinforce her now utterly out of control delusional ego.
Every objective measure (other than $ – and that is even increasingly questionable) signals the whole Fifty Shades of Grey thing (from Master of the Universe fanfic ———> movie) to be built on rubbish successful for hype and in marketing alone. Excuse my crudity… but we are now being completely trolled by a circle-jerk led by this woman.
And for any still existing apologists who try to justify this whole shebang as having some merit as a woman writing for women leading to film-making by women for women – NOPE, I’ve no more truck with that. Without even touching any and all arguments relating to the problematic aspects of this ‘creative’ material, THIS is, because she has made it so, solely about one woman – and a regressive, misogynistic, and passive-aggressive one at that. For me, no merit to found therein at all.
Anyhow, said enough, probably too much, but I’m now beyond tolerance – the only popcorn I’ll buy is for the show when this clusterf of hubris detonates. That I will buy tickets for.
P.S. I just have to assume the accountants at Universal know the A&P figure to make this thing what it was last week ($40m to make, hahaha) have their real bottom line highlighter pens ready for when they show her the accounts. She’s assuming green-lit when there is most likely more red to account for.
Yep! Exactly this!
I have “Fifty Shades of Chicken”, and I can assure you guys it is better written than any of James’s books will ever be. Some of the recipes have actually made my mouth water.
It really is puzzling- much better writers than her have no prob acknowledging that screenwriting and novel writing are two very different things- and Gillian Flynn is an amazing exception in her ability to do both well. I saw the movie- and thought it was fine. What really is unfair is to tie-no pun intended- up Jamie and Dakota like this. Saw where JD is on to another project for Netflix, so good for him. If there is this drastic a wait, I can see them recasting CG- Jamie could be close to 35 when they get to filming!
It is unusual for the writer of the book to get to write the screenplay of the movie. They’re very different mediums. Flynn is unusual and I would imagine that she was able to negotiate it because she’s got a long history of writing for EW and knows what works for a screenplay. James… I will be amazed if Universal actually gives it to her.
I am butchering the quote here, but Sara Gruen said something along the lines that she marveled over someone’s ability to transform a 400 plus word book to a script- and she knew she didn’t have it. Of course, the flip side is Sue Grafton’s total refusal to even consider letting Kinsey M come to life on screen- which is too bad. They are very entertaining books. After seeing what James has negotiated, she may be re-evaluating!
She doesn’t know what it is to truly be an author, or the skill and intelligence that goes into writing an actual work of proper writing. She thinks, like a good many people these days, that if you want to do something then just try it and automatically you are an expert. So she feels that writing a screenplay should be no harder than sitting down at her keyboard for a few hours, and then watch the checks roll in. Very Sad.
Gillian Flynn is a competent writer, therefore it makes sense for her to have control over the movie. JK Rowling is a competent writer, therefore any input on her part should be taken seriously. EL James is not a competent writer and should be ignored. Why is this so difficult for studios to understand?
They weren’t going to get their hands on the material unless they appeased the author’s enormous ego.
I’m pretty sure they’re still not certain they made the right decision.
Flynn also said she put a ton of trust in Fincher to bring it to life, where as James won’t let anyone else have any input. She might as well write it and direct it, and when it’s a huge mess there will be no one else to blame.
Plus, with Rowling there was the added issue of continuity. When they started with the movies, the series was far from finished so they needed her to tell them what would make sense later on. Also, she had basically written another 5 books of backstory that would never be published but were important to character development throughout the series. They actually needed her. Nobody need E.L. James and frankly, I doubt that she would’ve sat on the rights to the books forever. If they had thrown enough money at her …
Maybe her inner goddess should shut up and be thankful to Sam Taylor-Johnson for turning her …. book… no no no no … HER MASTERPIECE into a watchable movie?
I say let her do it. The last thing I wanted this movie to be was mediocre. I wanted it to be something I could hate watch while drunk and have a fun time laughing at. Bring on all the crazy. None of Taylor-Johnson’s tasteful demure crap, thanks. The campier the better!
As for the “why was that shitty written book THAT successful”- thing – the books were translated into many languages and bought in high amounts in non-english speaking countries. A good translation can do wonders to a bad book……
My workmates (who are all in their twenties, so no “mommy-porn” here) all liked that books and they normally have a very good taste in books. I think, the German translator deleted James mistakes und bad grammar and turned it into a at least half decent book.
And that may have been the case in other languages too.
But it was number one on US bestseller lists for many weeks and it was the best-selling book of all time in the UK (read this in a newspaper).
I do think it’s an interesting question why Fifty Shades is such a massive success, but I’m not sure that this is the answer.
I haven’t bought anything connected with it so far, but I admit that Charlie Hunnam could have made me pay for a movie ticket.
By the way, I would like to know what Charlie really thinks. Dakota Johnson believes he didn’t expect the movie to make so much money (She said this on Letterman).
If the author’s behaviour is to be believed that could have been the reason he pulled – her interference!
I agree, if the early stories were true and Charlie showed up with notes and ideas for the character, that EL James vetoed that and he made a hasty exit. This movie may have made a lot of money, but I don’t think Charlie regrets his decision.
I really think a behind the scenes expose of what went on with this movie would be more entertaining than the movie itself.
Ellen did a parody mashup of 50 Shades and Cinderella. The funny thing, going by the red carpets in Europe of Cinderella, Richard Madden and Lily James have way more chemistry than Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson.
That’s interesting reasoning from Dakota. So the movie made money and see all the stuff it’s doing for Jamie Dornan’s career? Oh wait… 🙂
And I do think Hunnam would have knocked it out of the park, he is walking sex. But he’s doing just fine for himself as it is.
I didn’t read it in English and it is the dumbest crap I’ ve ever read.
LOL, I’m always amazed when I waste a million words to express an opinion, then see that someone did it in much fewer words, and better. 😀
I read a translated version of the book, I agree that a good translation can do wonders for a bad book and I also thought while reading that that helped with bad grammar, but it was still the worst book I ever stumbled upon, there is no amount of amazing translating that can compensate for the lack of quality, limited vocabulary, inability of creating just a wee bit original and layered characters… (the list could go on, but who’d have the time to read it).
Okay, I see – some books are that bad, even a good translation can’ t save them…..Fortunately I avoided this mess at all costs.
(How do I post smilies here….?)
You just ‘draw’ a smiley with punctuation marks and when you submit comment it appears as this yellow fellow 😉 That’s how I do it anyhow, maybe there is another way I don’t know about.
Charlie
The German translation was awful and one of the worst books I’ve ever read.
It basically boils down to porn with very good PR. Same with Twilight. Plenty of other, better written novels available in either genre, but it just hit the market at the right time with the right machine in place to keep it chugging along. Throw in the sex appeal, and it was bound to have mass market success.
After reading the first one i was shocked at how badly written (bad grammar, lack of a decent plot, appalling use of the English language) they were. They really were bad fan fiction gone global. The success was purely down to its association with Twilight and the throwaway nature of chick lit. Clearly she hasn’t read the Story of O by Anne Desclos on how to write erotic fiction.
If the studio want to capitalise on the success of the movie they need to keep her out of the process or at least limit it. Only someone with a massive ego will tell acclaimed and successful professionals how to do their job.
Yes, Betti, I so agree with you – The Story of O was superb. Desclos understood the value of understatement and the power of suggestion.
@LADIDAHBABY…could not stop lmao!!! Good shit! Also this….FIFTT SHADES OF CHICKEN….crazy excited about that! Just wanted to say that I agree in two separate comments made…I too read this awful trilogy & only did so BC I was constantly being bombarded by the promotion in which called for several respective readers I know to read it & decided if no other reason than to see for ourselves wut the fuss was about & then crucify (lol) INDEED absolutely awful reading I had bought the set of three & after the first it was ridiculous the amount of talking myself into finishing them off….as someone else said perhaps to see did i miss something maybe it would progress & get better but NO WAY JUST MORE OF THE SAME….u was more than pleased to tell anyone who would listen how much a complete waste of time this was!! I actually DO feel ashamed to have read it…BC it was that bad
Ahahaha, Jax, exactly.! At least I’m not the only one.
With the pic of Mama June below the pic of EL James, slap a blonde wig on EL James, or a dark wig on Mama June and they could be sisters.
Quick te-he-he. “Pulling her weight around” is a funny way to confuse idioms. Throwing her weight around or pulling strings might have been more appropriate. I think EL was doing more than pulling her own weight, which was the point of the statement. 🙂
No shade intended, I’m a writer and make little mistakes all the time. Always good for a chuckle.
Abso-fcking-purely!
I will sign a petition for this! I want – no NEED – for it to happen. I want her to write, direct, and film it. I want her to insert herself as a character in the background literally winking to the audience. Bring on the cheese and trash for this train wreck!
Honestly though it cracks me up that these books are so successful in the south. THIS is what poses for erotica. Then have others seen the pictures from movie theatres of abandoned cucumbers after screening of 50 Shades? That’s right! Horribly mangled fanfiction and cucumbers are what’s getting off people even as they ew at gay rights and marriages. The irony…
I’ve never disliked a writer more and I don’t know the woman nor have I read the books or watched the films.
I loathe people who make work difficult for others especially when it’s a collaborative process.
I agree, LAK. and she has also made work more difficult for serious writers whose books can take a few years to write and then rarely sell in massive numbers, even though they are well-reviewed. It’s actually painful sometimes when someone asks after a reading or at a book-signing if the book you’re working on is “the next 50 Shades,” because you don’t want to let a tripe trilogy get under your skin and also (oddly enough) you don’t want to shade another author in public, not even EL James. I worry that she has singlehandedly not only changed the expectations of the wider reading public, but that she has lowered the bar on quality for publishers. I hope I’m wrong. (And I take comfort in the fact that it wouldn’t be the first time,).
EL James is the Kim Kardashian of literature – famous for something no one really wants to admit they have seen.
C’mon. She is a bad fanfic writer who got lucky. Those books, contrary to what many people think, aren’t considered bad by many people. She got lucky because she somehow tapped into something a lot of women crave. I can tell you that, just like with Twilight, I cringed every step of the way when reading these books and yet could not put them down (until about the middle of the 3rd one when I got bored). I can’t however, tell you why.
I really hope they don’t let her write the screenplay. I saw this movie for Jamie, Dakota, Sam Taylor Johnson. I’ve read the books and I think Sam made it better. I just wish she had more control. I know Universal regrets giving her so much control and making her ego larger.
Jeez, not to be mean, but when I first saw the pic of James on top, I thought it was Jimmy Kimmel in drag.
I don’t know where she’ll find the time. She’s always assuring fans, on Twitter, that she’s busy ‘writing’ new novels. Is it wrong that I always read that as “sitting with my laptop waiting for another woman writer to release creative work I can fanfic – badly”? Unless she’s working on a fanfic of a Fifty Shades of Grey fanfic (post movie). Meta… or no, more like Sh*ta.
Apologies for earlier rant… had a friend in a mess last night over other ‘friends’ of hers calling her all sorts from “wimpy prude” to “not getting sexy fun” when she refused to join them on a works’ outing to see this POS. In fairness, none of them knew enough about her to know they were triggering her. Anyhow, just reread my last post on this and I’m ashamed I just scattergunned my horror over this woman (and her ego led apologist crap) over the thread as a consequence.
Wow that’s horrible.
I’m so sorry for your friend, yes I have heard that this movie can contain triggers for those people who have faced abuse or rape. It’s sad that many people think this series is sexy or even BDSM, I just chalk it up to them being sheltered.
I can’t understand what in the world made this book such a huge success! I didn’t read past 50 pages of the first novel. It was so appallingly bad. How did she get published? It just makes me so disappointed in all the people who bought the books and watched the movie…..
As for Sam Taylor directing this film and supposedly making it more watchable – “Polish a turd, it’s still a turd”
The only way I could tolerate the books was by listening to them on CD during my long commute, and even then the tolerance was due only to the excellent reader. They’re tedious beyond belief – hokey/trite – and the sex scenes, without exception, are grindingly dull (that may be a pun). Not at all erotica – just dullica.
She needs to take a writing course. Im all for adventure and I couldnt get past page 54, it was that bad.
Someone needs to stop this woman. like..now.
This lady has never made a movie in her life so what the f does she know. I think with her in the drivers seat the movies won’t make money and the critics will be nastier. I wish she would just realize that these people know what their doing. They know how to make a poorly written book into a watchable movie everyone wants to see. She should be happy that’s what happened to her first book. Cus the critics weren’t to kind with the reviews of this movie.