Photo: Jim Smeal/BEImages
Well, that was quick. Sons of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam, who had signed on to play Christian Grey opposite Dakota Johnson's Anastasia Steele in the film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey just last month, has dropped out.
“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,” according to the statement Universal Studios released on Saturday.
The news comes just days after Hunnam talked about how seriously he was taking the Grey role. "There are so many fans of that book and I know that on the surface, I’m probably not what everybody imagined,” the actor told Entertainment Weekly. “Because reading is so personal and people bring a character to life in their imagination, they feel ownership over that character. That’s daunting if I allowed myself to think about it too much. I’m taking it very seriously and intend to explore the nature of who this character is, what motivates him—and also dress up nice and look good in those suits.”
The film is set to begin filming next month, and will be released next August — that is, if producers can find another leading man. We're open to suggestions. (Deadline).