’50 Shades of Grey’ director Sam Taylor-Johnson officially quits the franchise

The first installment of the Fifty Shades of Grey film trilogy has already grossed over a half-billion dollars in the worldwide box office, but the money reportedly wasn’t enough to keep director Sam Taylor-Johnson around for the next two films. The filmmaker reportedly had a number of creative differences with the best-selling 50 Shades author E.L. James, and while she confirmed to Deadline on Wednesday that she will not be returning to direct the sequel, she wishes “nothing but success” to her replacement.

50 Shades of Grey stars Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson are both currently under option deals for the next two films, which are to be based on James’ Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, but Taylor-Johnson’s difficulties with the author resulted in her deciding not to return.

“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, Taylor-Johnson told Deadline, adding that she forged strong bonds with the film’s cast, producers and crew. “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.”

Universal will have to find a new filmmaker to replace Taylor-Johnson, but her descriptions of what it was like working with James make the position seem less than desirable.

“It was difficult, I’m not going to lie. We definitely fought,” Taylor-Johnson told Porter magazine. “We would have proper on-set barneys, and I’m not confrontational, but it was about finding a way between the two of us, satisfying her vision of what she’d written as well as my need to visualise this person on screen.”

Universal has not yet commented on Taylor-Johnson’s departure or any potential replacement candidates for the remaining 5o Shades films.

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