At this rate, the filming of the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy will contain more twists and turns than the actual plot.
After widespread rumours that co-stars Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson do not get along, the latest bump in the road is that director Sam Taylor-Johnson has pulled out of the second instalment.
Speaking to Deadline, Sam said: '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.’
We notice that there is no mention of a 'close and lasting relationship' with the book's author EL James, who Sam is said to have clashed with on set.
Talking to Porter magazine, Sam admitted: ‘It was difficult I’m not going to lie. We definitely fought but they were creative fights and we would resolve them. 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 but, you know we got there.’
When asked if she had befriended EL by the end of filming, Sam offered a non-committal 'Ummm', before responding 'Good' when told that she did not have to answer.
It is thought that EL pushed for more sex scenes in the film than Sam would have wanted, and forced the director to alter her preferred ending.