This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Ohio U chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
Call it risqué. Call it romantic. Call it anything other than your typical romance novel. The New York Times Best Sellers novel 50 Shades of Grey by author E.L. James is turning into a movie and will be released in theaters next year. The long awaited decision of whom will play the lead roles of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele has finally come. On September 3, E.L. James announced on Twitter that Charlie Hunnam is casted to play the handsome billionaire Christian Grey, and Dakota Johnson will play the stunning and timid Anastasia Steele.
Moviegoers have seen Hunman in this year’s sci-fi flick Pacific Rim, but he is best known for playing Jackson “Jax” Teller in the AE’s television series Sons of Anarchy. Johnson (was) known as Kate in FOX TV’s cancelled series Ben and Kate, and she also starred in The Five-Year Engagement, The Social Network and 21 Jump Street.
Even though Hunnam and Johnson clearly have experience in the acting field, the million-dollar question is how well will they convey their chemistry on the big screen? From “vanilla” sex scenes to Sadomasochistic acts of passion, 50 Shades includes a wide range of sexual acts in one story. The simple presence of Johnson’s and Hunnam’s on-screen chemistry is crucial to the adaptation’s plotline, and it is the only way 50 Shades of Grey will be successful at the box office.
As a reader of the novel, I am anxious to see how the cast and crew will develop this unique storyline, and it also makes me wonder if the anticipated film will be rated-R or possibly NC-17 due to its mature content.
The pressure is on Hunnam to convince every woman watching that he is the perfect person to portray Grey, because Christian Grey is assumed to be one of the most sexually desired fictional characters by women today. On the other hand, Johnson must make every woman be envious of his and Miss Steele’s relationship.
There have been angry responses about the chosen cast. Blogs and tweets stated that the two are not “hot” enough to be Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele. According to US Weekly, producer Dana Brunetti tweeted, “There is a lot that goes into casting that isn’t just looks. Talent, availability, their desire to do it, chemistry with other actor, etc.”
Regardless of the apparent failed expectations, Brunetti made an excellent point about her chosen cast. With intensity, passion, sex, vulnerability, submission, Sadomasochism, affection, and adoration as the main concepts throughout the storyline, the casted Christian and Ana cannot disappoint their audiences.