The Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy may have to find a new director after Sam Taylor-Johnson has threatened to quit the steamy franchise over her feud with author EL James. The pair's relationship has become so “toxic” that Sam just cannot face another two films after the release of the first on Valentine's Day weekend.
The film has gone on to break box office records worldwide, but even the big screen adaptation of the erotic novel's phenomenal success just isn't enough to lure poor Sam back for a second and third. The 47-year-old has reportedly sat down with Universal to insist whatever the future hold for the S&M bonkfest, she won't be any part of it.
"Sam won't be back for the Fifty Shades sequels. She wants out and Universal knows that's the right decision,” a film insider told The Sun. "Her relationship with Erika has become toxic. They despise each other and blame each other for the problems with the film. All the biggest arguments were about the sex scenes in the film. Erika wanted the movie to be loyal to the book and much more explicit."
Sam Taylor-Johnson to quit Fifty Shades over El James feud (Lia Toby/WENN)
The film has been criticised for not showing as much sex as the books, but according to the source, Sam wanted the film to be “more than just a collection of S&M scenes”.
During an interview with Porter magazine, the filmmaker admitted to clashing with the author on set. It was difficult, I'm not going to lie,” she said. "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."
Sam poses wit stars Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson and author EL James (Lia Toby/WENN)
Last week, the pair appeared to be on better terms during the Fifty Shades of Grey UK premiere, which was met with a swarm of domestic violence protesters.
“Universal has not yet announced anything pertaining to sequels," said the insider, although the director confirmed the further films during the Fifty Shades First fan screening event, hosted by the Today Show. And surely with an $81.7 million opening on Valentine's weekend in the US and a further $153 million thought to have been racked up internationally the studio would be bananas not to go ahead with at least another two movies - with or without Sam Taylor-Johnson.
