Actors Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson may be set to return for adaptations of Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, but guess who won’t be coming back? Filmmaker Sam Taylor-Johnson has made a formal announcement about her future with this film series.
Despite the great box office success of the first movie, the director will not return to helm the next two film adaptations. For some, this may not be surprising considering the tense working relationship shared between Taylor-Johnson and writer E.L. James. According to The Huffington Post, “the Fifty Shades of Grey author clashed with Taylor-Johnson during production, a battle that was detailed throughout the film’s press tour earlier this year.”
In a statement shared with Deadline.com, Taylor-Johnson explained: “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 and Jamie. While I will not be returning to direct the sequels, I wish nothing but success to whosoever takes on the exciting challenges of films two and three.” (via TheWrap.com)