Big Gay Picture Show

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema and more

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema & more

Charlie Hunnam Drops Out of Fifty Shades of Grey

By Leave a Comment

Charlie-HunnamA few weeks ago, Charlie Hunnam was announced to play the lead role in the much anticipated adaptation of 50 Shades Of Grey. However those hoping for some very sexy scenes with Hunnam will be disappointed, as he’s now he’s dropped out of the role of Christian Grey, who becomes involved in an S&M flavoured relationship with a young woman, Anastasia Steele.

The official statement from Universal Pictures says, “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.”

However, other sources have suggested to THR that it wasn’t just his schedule, but that Hunnam has been overwhelmed by the attention and pressure heaped on him since the announcement, and that with a schedule that would essentially leave no time to transition from his TV show, Sons Of Anarchy, to the movie, he decided it was too much.

There are also some wondering about whether Hunnam got cold feet about a role that’s highly sexual and could have ended up defining his career.

Fifty Shades of Grey is set for release on August 1st, 2014, so there’s little time to find a replacement and shooting needs to start soon. Sam Taylor-Johnson is set to direct.

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
ACTORS:   DIRECTORS:   FILMS:   

Jennifer Ehle Joins Fifty Shades Of Grey

By Leave a Comment

jennifer-ehleJennifer Ehle is a busy woman. Just yesterday is was revealed she signed on to star in The Forger, and now the British actress is in negotiations to star in Fifty Shades of Grey, according to Deadline.

Assuming she signs on the dotted line, the actress will play Carla, the mother of Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson). She is described as a strong Southern woman on her fourth marriage. Charlie Hunnam will play Christian Grey, the young multi-millionaire who strikes up a torrid, S&M flavoured affair with the college student Anastasia.

Sam Taylor-Johnson is directing from a screenplay by Kelly Marcel,  adapted from the blockbuster novel by E.L. James. Shooting starts soon, with an August 1st, 2014 release already set.

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
ACTORS: , ,   DIRECTORS:   FILMS:   

Charlie Hunnam Says Queer As Folk Prepared Him For Fifty Shades Of Grey

By Leave a Comment

charlie-hunnam-shirtlessIt was confirmed last week that Charlie Hunnam has won the lead male role of Christian Grey in the upcoming adaptation of the best-selling 50 Shades Of Grey, opposite Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele. Now he’s been chatting about it, and says that going gay (on-screen at least) at an early age will help him with the role and its inevitable onslaught of kinky sex scenes.

He told THR, “My first job was on a Channel 4 miniseries called Queer as Folk. It was incredibly explicit sexual scenes with a man. I mean I’m 16 and 17 years wiser now. So if I could do it when I was 18 with a guy, I can certainly do it at 33 with a lady.”

Hunnam played the fresh-faced Nathan in Queer As Folk who within the first few minutes of the series was going at it hot and heavy with Aiden Gillan’s Stuart, before he became ‘the one-night stand who wouldn’t go away’.

We have to agree, it probably was good training for 50 Shades. Now we just need to convince Hollywood to replace Dakota Johnson with a guy.

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
ACTORS:   FILMS:   

Charlie Hunnam & Dakota Johnson On For Fifty Shades of Grey

By Leave a Comment

charlie-hunnam-shirtless-pacific-rim-close-upMany actors have been rumoured to play Christian Grey in the movie version of 30 Shades Of Grey. The last was Charlie Hunnam and now it’s been confirmed that he’s got the role. He’s also got a co-star, as Dakota Johnson will be Anastasia.

The film is set to be released on August 1, 2014 with Sam Taylor-Johnson directing from a script by Kelly Marcel, based on E.L. James’ bestselling book. The Fifty Shades trilogy has sold over 70 million copies worldwide in e-book and print, making it one of the fastest-selling book series ever.

Fifty Shades of Grey follows the relationship of 27-year-old billionaire Christian Grey and college student Anastasia Steele. Subsequent novels in the series, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, explore the couple’s deepening relationship. It’s been dubbed ‘mommy porn’ due to the endless scenes of fetish sex, but it’s not known how hardcore the film version will be. Hopefully though, the pic above will be the most clothed Hunnam is during the movie.

Johnson has been seen in the likes of 21 Jump Street, and The Five-Year Engagement, and also stars in the upcoming Need For Speed, while the British Hunnam is best known for Pacific Rim and the TV series Sons Of Anarchy.

Hopefully Brett Easton Ellis will approve. Despite being gay himself, he decided Matt Bomer was ‘too gay’ to play Christian Grey, but presumably he won’t mind Hunnam, even if he did get his first break playing Nathan in the UK’s Queer As Folk. Or perhaps Ellis can just shut up about the whole thing.

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
ACTORS: ,   DIRECTORS:   FILMS:   

Fifty Shades of Grey Movie Set For August 2014

By Leave a Comment

Fifty-Shades-of-Grey-book-coverWhen Universal/Focus Features picked up the rights to Fifty Shades Of Grey last year, they wanted to move forward as fast as possible, realising that the books’ zeitgeist currency wasn’t likely to last. However it’s taken them a while to get things ready, but after setting Sam Taylor-Johnson to direct last week, they’ve announced that the global release of Fifty Shades of Grey will start in North America on Friday, August 1st, 2014.

Taylor-Johnson will direct the adaptation of E.L. James’ book, working from a screenplay by Kelly Marcel. Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti are producing the movie version alongside Ms. James.

Fifty Shades of Grey has become a global phenomenon and the trilogy has been translated into over 50 languages worldwide since its release. To date, the Fifty Shades trilogy has sold over 70 million copies worldwide in e-book and print, making it one of the fastest-selling book series ever.

The first book follows the relationship of 27-year-old billionaire Christian Grey and college student Anastasia Steele, which goes to lengthening BDSM extremes.

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
DIRECTORS:   FILMS:   

Nowhere Boy’s Sam Taylor-Johnson Will Helm Fifty Shades Of Grey Movie

By Leave a Comment

SamTaylor-Wood-JohnsonAfter months of speculation over who would helm the film version of Fifty Shades Of Grey, Universal Pictures and Focus Features has announced that British artist and director Sam Taylor-Johnson (previously known as Sam Taylor-Wood) has got the job.

Her only previous feature-length movie is Nowhere Boy, about a young John Lennon (and where she also met her now husband, Aaron Taylor-Johnson), however she does have some experience with sex on screen thanks to the short Death Valley, which was all about a man masturbating in the desert.

Producer Michael De Luca commented, “Sam’s unique ability to gracefully showcase complex relationships dealing with love, emotion and sexual chemistry make her the ideal director to bring Christian and Anastasia’s relationship to life. E.L. James’ characters and vivid storytelling require a director who is willing to take risks and push the envelope where needed and Sam is a natural fit.”

Sam Taylor-Johnson herself said, “I am excited to be charged with the evolution of Fifty Shades of Grey from page to screen. For the legions of fans, I want to say that I will honor the power of Erika’s book and the characters of Christian and Anastasia. They are under my skin too.”

Fifty Shades of Grey has become a global phenomenon and the trilogy has been translated in 50 languages worldwide since its release. To date, the Fifty Shades trilogy has sold over 70 million copies worldwide in e-book and print, making it one of the fastest selling book series ever.

The first book follow the relationship of 27-year-old billionaire Christian Grey and college student Anastasia Steele. Subsequent novels in the series, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed explore the couple’s deepening relationship. There’s no news on when the movie might shoot, or who will star.

Many will now wonder whether Sam’s sexy hubby Aaron will be in the movie, which I’m sure many would be very happy to see. Indeed the pic below of Aaron and Sam gives you a taste of what some of the sweeter, less BDSM heavy moments of a Fifty Shades movie might be like.

Aaron Johnson shirtless (with Sam Taylor-Wood)

Aaron Taylor-Johnson with Sam Taylor-Johnson

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
DIRECTORS:   FILMS:   

Will Joe Wright Direct Fifty Shades Of Grey?

By Leave a Comment

joe-wrightWhen Universal snapped up the rights to Fifty Shades Of Grey, they suggested they wanted to move forward quickly with the adaptation of the steamy BDSM romp. Kelly Marcell has been working on the script for a while, but it’s only now that the studio is closing in on a director.

Variety reports that while no deal has been made, Joe Wright is the man who’s currently in the frame to direct the movie version of EL James’ tome. While a bit of a departure from his period romps such as Anna Karenina, Atonement and Pride and Prejudice, he has a strong relationship with Universal and could be a good choice for the film.

It’s suggested the likes of Patty Jenkins, Bill Condon, Bennett Miller and Gus Van Sant were also considered, but Wright is the man the studio wants.

Once a deal is secured, the search will move from the director to finding actors to play Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey.

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
DIRECTORS:   FILMS:   

Gus Van Sant & Alex Pettyfer Shoot Fifty Shades of Grey Test Scene

By Leave a Comment

Alex Pettyfer in Magic Mike

Alex Pettyfer in Magic Mike

Ever since Universal snapped up the rights to Fifty Shades Of Grey, with plans to make a steamy movie version, there’s been a lot of interest in who would star and direct. Now gay Good Will Hunting and Promised Land helmer Gus Van Sant is making a bid for the directing job, as The Wrap reports that he’s shot a test scene with Alex Pettyfer playing Christian Grey.

The scene is apparently the one where naive college student Anastasia Steele loses her virginity to the kinky Grey.

Of course, shooting a test scene and getting the job are different things, and there’s no guarantee either Van Sant or Pettyfer will be involved in the final movie, but it certainly gives Universal a strong option. The scene was apparently completely unsolicited, but shows the director and actor’s interest.

There are still hurdles for the adaptation, not least translating the BDSM heavy ‘mommy porn’ tome into something that US cinemas will accept (particularly difficult as if it gets an adults-only NC-17 rating, many theatres won’t book it, and some newspapers won’t even accept ads). Kelly Marcel is currently writing the script.

However, as Brett Easton Ellis ignited controversy for saying Matt Bomer was ‘too gay’ to play Christian Grey last year, we’ll have to wait and see if he thinks Gus Van Sant is too gay to direct.

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
ACTORS:   DIRECTORS:   FILMS:   

Kelly Marcel To Write Fifty Shades of Grey Film

By Leave a Comment

There’s been a lot of interest in Hollywood who would be getting to adapt Fifty Shades Of Grey, with the likes of Bret Easton Ellis even launching lobbying efforts to get the job. However it’s now been been revealed, via Variety, that Kelly Marcel has got the job.

It’s something a bit different from what Marcel has done before, who produced the likes of Terra Nova on TV and more recently was behind the script for Saving Mr. Banks about Disney’s difficulty getting the rights to Mary Poppins, which has recently gone into production.

Fifty Shades producer Michael De Luca commented, “Kelly’s work demonstrates her flawless structural technique and passionate commitment to emotion, humor and depth of character which is particularly visible in the celebrated screenplay for the upcoming Saving Mr. Banks.”

Universal Pictures and Focus Features acquired the rights to the three books in the Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy back in March of this year, although it’s still not clear how they can fully bring the incredibly raunchy novels to the screen without massively diluting them. Fifty Shades of Grey has become a global phenomenon and the trilogy has been translated in 45 languages worldwide since its release. In the US alone, the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy has sold over 32 million copies.

Fifty Shades of Grey follows the relationship of 27-year-old billionaire Christian Grey and college student Anastasia Steele. Subsequent novels in the series, Fifty Shades Darker (September 2011) and Fifty Shades Freed (January 2012) explore the couple’s deepening relationship.

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
FILMS: