The search for the next Christian Grey is in full swing, after Charlie Hunnam dropped out weeks before filming began and left producers scrambling. The reasons for his departure are being widely debated, but the consensus seems to be that he got cold feet after the negative fan backlash, and then he realized that the film could seriously harm his career. As a very private person and someone who’s thinking about his career in the long term, I think he decided he was willing to wait and build his career on indie cred rather than a shitty blockbuster.
However, this is turning out to be a major problem for the movie. Now that Charlie has dropped out, there are rumors that the leading lady, Dakota Johnson, might also drop out or be fired. You know what that means for the studio? So far, there has been a LOT of bad publicity for the movie. Right now, the quality of the script and the film is in question, especially since that’s being touted as one of the reasons for Charlie’s departure.
So with the reputation of the film so damaged, will the production ever recover? There are literally weeks left before the film begins production, which gives very little time for the studio and filmmakers to find a solid replacement for Charlie. They might end up with CW actors, because at this point, what actor is willing to take a risk on this movie? The names we’re hearing thrown around are largely untested, including Jamie Dornan and Theo James.
What do you guys think? Who do you think will or should replace Charlie Hunnam as Christian Grey, and will the film’s reputation ever recover from this debacle? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Photo Credit: FameFlynet