Although Charlie Hunnam is no longer set to play the title character in Universal Pictures and Focus Features’ Fifty Shades of Grey, the project has scored a new Pacific Rim alumn today in Max Martini. Variety reports the actor, who also recently starred in Captain Phillips, will play Jason Taylor, Grey’s bodyguard opposite Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson, Jennifer Ehle, Luke Grimes, Victor Rasuk and Eloise Mumford.
Universal Pictures and Focus Features acquired the rights to the three books in the “Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogy in March 2012. Focus Features will market and distribute the first film in partnership with Universal. “Fifty Shades of Grey” has become a global phenomenon and the trilogy has been translated in over 50 languages worldwide since its release. To date, the “Fifty Shades” trilogy has sold over 70 million copies worldwide in e-book and print, making it one of the fastest-selling book series ever.
“Fifty Shades of Grey” (first published in 2011) follows the relationship of 27-year-old billionaire Christian Grey (Dornan) and college student Anastasia Steele (Johnson). Subsequent novels in the series, “Fifty Shades Darker” (2011) and “Fifty Shades Freed” (2012) explore the couple’s deepening relationship.
Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti are producing the film. Kelly Marcel penned the script.
