After Universal and Focus picked up the rights to FIFTY SHADES OF GREY for $5 million, they have now announced the producing team of THE SOCIAL NETWORK – Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti – will oversee production. If you have a penis then you have probably heard of this book, but have no idea what the hell is going on. It involves a recent college graduate signing a contract with a billionaire, allowing him to have complete control over her. It’s also a popular game you can play on any form of public transport, where you try and spot as many women reading it as possible. My highest score is seven. See you at the Olympics.
FIFTY SHADES OF GREY and its sequels started life as TWILIGHT fan-fiction…I’m being serious now. It recently sold its 20 millionth copy in the US. It managed this in 6 months. Even TWILIGHT took three years to do this. It has made its author, E L JAMES, around $50 million.
Co-Chairman at Universal, Donna Langley, had this to say:
‘At its core, FIFTY SHADES OF GREY is a complex love story, requiring a delicate and sophisticated hand to bring it to the big screen, Mike and Dana’s credits more than exemplify what we need in creative partners, and we’re glad to have them as part of our team.’
CEO of Focus, James Schamus, added:
‘Michael De Luca is a dream producer, whose combination of vision, taste and fearlessness is the perfect match for FIFTY SHADES OF GREY.’
Author, E L James, had this to say:
‘I am thrilled that Mike has joined Team Fifty. He brings a passion for and in-depth understanding of the characters and story and a wealth of experience in making quality films.’
Once these guys tear their lips from the behinds of their new producing team, I’m sure we’ll receive some news on casting and scriptwriting duties.
I haven’t read the books, but it is fascinating how quickly they have spread. The kinds of women reading these novels seem to not question for one second what they are about. They simply hear from their friends, see Facebook updates and immediately buy the entire trilogy. That’s exactly how I reacted when a boy showed up at school with Pogs for the first time. The difference being, I was around seven or eight at the time and not very smart. Perhaps with the THN’s support, I will go where no man has gone before and read this franchise so I can put together a ‘Penis Owner’s Guide to Fifty Shades Of Grey’
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
