American Psycho writer Bret Easton Ellis made clear via Twitter who he’d pick as potential leads in Fifty Shades of Grey , the best-selling erotic drama by E. L. James that he claims he’s hoping to adapt for the big screen. If it ever comes to pass, Ryan Gosling and Girls creator/actress Lena Dunham are clear favorites — or so he insists. What would rumored potential director Angelina Jolie say? Reporting on Ellis’ Tweets — which should be taken with a sizable grain of salt, obviously — Orange UK noted that the Less Than Zero author speculated that Scarlett Johansson or Kristen Stewart would be the likely victors to play the novel’s Ana opposite a theoretical Gosling as Christian Grey. “I would love it if we lived in a world where [ Girls actress] Lena Dunham could be Ana in Fifty Shades of Grey but I don’t think we do,” Ellis wrote. “Hope E.L. James doesn’t think I’m being a prankster. I really want to adapt her novels for the screen. Christian Grey is a writer’s dream…” The novel’s Christian Grey is a wealthy man tormented by demons and a need for control who begins a BDSM affair with college grad, Ana. Ellis has additional thoughts on a director too, should the Jolie thing not work out — or is just an elaborate rumor — or both: “I think David Cronenberg is a great idea for directing Fifty Shades of Grey and we worked together on American Psycho in its initial phase.” He gave a shout out to his supporters and a nudge to the powers that, well.. “BEE”: “Thanks to everyone supporting BEE adapting Fifty Shades of Grey : the response has been huge and amazing. Hope E.L. James feels the same way.” [ @breteastonellis via Orange UK ]
Co-writer Damon Lindelof tells MTV News if there were a follow-up, ‘it wouldn’t be ‘Alien.’ ‘ By Kevin P. Sullivan Charlize Theron and Idris Elba in “Prometheus” Photo: 20th Century Fox In the wake of the mind explosion that was Ridley Scott’s ” Prometheus ,” both fans and haters have been curiously posturing about what it could all mean and whether a sequel is likely or even possible. Though after a solid opening weekend, the fate of a “Prometheus” sequel may now lie in the hands of a Fox executive instead of the creative talent, we spoke with co-writer Damon Lindelof about whether the events and ideas in “Prometheus” leave an opening for a follow-up. Spoilers ahead. Much of the philosophy in “Prometheus” revolves around the unsatisfying nature of ultimate answers, and the film purposely avoids resolving some of the story’s lingering questions. So could a sequel exist without contradicting the ideas of the original? Lindelof told us that “Prometheus” was always intended to be a stand-alone film, but there is the possibility for more story. “The conversations that we had about the story of ‘Prometheus’ and how it would end were always predicated on the idea that there would not be a sequel, that a sequel was not a foregone conclusion, and that the movie itself had to have a feeling of being complete,” Lindelof said. “That being said, we also wanted the audience to feel that, like, if there were a sequel to ‘Prometheus,’ it wouldn’t be ‘Alien.’ ” That idea of a separate narrative arc from “Alien” led to the loose end of Shaw flying off to find the Engineers, so that if a sequel were to happen, it would take the audience to unfamiliar territory. “Something needed to happened at the end of this movie that clearly steered and announced that the direction of the trajectory of this story moving forward was not going to head toward LV-426 and a crashed, derelict ship with a Space Jockey with an exploded chest surrounded by eggs, that Shaw and David were headed in a different direction that was probably not going to result in that,” Lindelof said. “Those two things were sort of simultaneous to each other, so you’re both saying, ‘We want this movie to stand on its own, but we also acknowledge that it needs to end in a way that is very clear that if the story were to progress (if there were a sequel) ‘ We tried to thread the needle between the two ideas.” If the concept of no sequel to “Prometheus” upsets you because of the remaining mysteries, Lindelof suggests you look toward Scott for your answers, because he has them. “Then, of course, for all this talk of unanswered questions or the characters theorizing but not really getting their theories proved or, more importantly, for getting their makers to answer for the condition of the movie, Ridley and I and Jon [Spaihts] all discussed what we felt those answers were and came to agreement on them, so despite whatever slings and arrows come our way, this is not a case of, ‘Well, we didn’t know, so we didn’t bother trying,'” Lindelof said. “We definitely knew, and Ridley decided that the more interesting movie was one where we didn’t explicitly spell that stuff out.” So because Scott designed the movie to be the way that it is, those questions should drive you want more, just like Shaw at the end of the film, but Lindelof promised that the answers you might be searching for could be hidden inside “Prometheus.” “I really believe — and this is not shamed hucksterism — that upon multiple viewings of the movie or just entering into conversation with people who have seen it, there are a lot more answers there than people think there are and room for theories, but the movie needed to end in a way that is Shaw still searching,” he said. “She is not satisfied with the answers that she got. I think that’s very indicative, hopefully, if Shaw is supposed to be the audience proxy, they’re supposed to be feeling the same way that she is at the end of the movie.” For all the “Lost” fans out there, this might all sound like a familiar song and dance, especially coming from Lindelof, and the writer knew he was in for that comparison when he took on Scott’s orders. “To be completely candid, I knew that I’d eat some s— for that for the rest of my career, if there is no sequel to ‘Prometheus,’ but did it anyway, and had Ridley asked me to do it the other way, I would have done that too,” Lindelof said. “This movie is about realizing his vision. He’s only directed three science-fiction films, and now ‘Prometheus’ is one of them, and if he told me to jump off a bridge, I would.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Prometheus.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos Experts React To The ‘Prometheus’ Trailer
‘Spring Breakers’ star, who appears in Funny or Die parody, tells MTV News ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ is ‘intriguing.’ By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Cory Midgarden Selena Gomez Photo: MTV News In May, Selena Gomez poked fun at the blush-inducing literary phenomenon that is “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Appearing in a Funny or Die sketch titled “Fifty Shades of Blue,” Gomez, playing a naive, lusty Ana Steele type, longed for her handyman, played by Nick Kroll, who comes across in the skit as anything but the suave, sexy Christian Grey from the trilogy. However, before Gomez hit the set for the short, she had to do some research and read E. L. James’ book. Well, what she read truly did leave her cheeks rosy. “I only read the beginning of it, because when they told me about the skit, I didn’t know what it was about,” she told MTV News. “So I started to read it, and I was like, ‘Oh, this is spicy.’ So I thought it was good, it was intriguing. Obviously, it’s working, so the skit was really funny.” While it seems that every actress in Hollywood has some form of “Fifty Shades” fever, given that the book will soon be made into a movie, did starring in “Fifty Shades of Blue” make Gomez want to tackle the starring role in the real thing? “I don’t think so. I know I’m taking risks, but I don’t think I could do that!” she said. “That would be a little too much for me. I think someone older should do that part.” “Fifty Shades” might be a bit too mature for Gomez, but her next slate of projects will show that the 19-year-old is growing up, even if at a slower pace. In addition to her bikini-clad role in the “raw” “Spring Breakers,” Gomez will soon begin work on her next album . “I am missing music, so we’re going to start on the fourth record at the end of this year,” she explained about heading back into the studio after working on several film projects. “Very different! I want to go for producers that probably wouldn’t want me to do their songs. I just want to knock on their door. I also want to work with Fun. I want to work with just different styles of music. “I also want to work with Taylor [Swift] too. So I just want to do different things for this album,” she added. “By the time it comes out, I’ll almost be 21, so I want to be able to — wow, that sounds really scary! — I want it to be older.” Who should star in the ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ movie? Sound off below! Related Photos Books You Can Read Instead Of ’50 Shades Of Grey’ ‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’ Rumored Cast Related Artists Selena Gomez
MTV News spots a red velvet wall on the set that reminds us of the erotic trilogy — a sign of things to come on Sunday? By Terri Schwartz, with reporting by Jim Cantiello “Fifty Shades of Grey” Photo: The Writer’s Coffee Shop UNIVERSAL CITY, California — Something strange is happening on the MTV Movie Awards set. While scoping out what was supposed to be a rehearsal for Fun., we saw some workers rolling in … giant red plush walls? It looks a bit suspicious, if you ask us. Maybe it’s just because we have “Fifty Shades of Grey” on the mind, but our first thought when we saw the set piece was that it was a wall from a giant velvet sex room. And considering the Movie Awards’ track record of crazy epic stunts, we wouldn’t put it past anyone here. Of course, it could just be part of a normal set. With everyone from Fun. and Wiz Khalifa to the Black Keys performing at this year’s awards show, we wouldn’t be surprised if one of them was a closet “Fifty Shades” fan. Maybe we should do some digging and see if we can get some deals signed for the upcoming “Fifty Shades of Grey” movie . “Howlin’ for You” would be an appropriate first track on the album, right? “Fifty Shades” has been on many celebs’ minds recently, with everyone from Kristen Stewart and Sam Claflin to Stephenie Meyer , Selena Gomez and Brooklyn Decker talking about it. And we’d be lying if we said we weren’t enablers. We even did an “After Hours” with the “Snow White and the Huntsman” cast where we had them read certain erotic sections of the book. Trust us when we say that you haven’t lived until you’ve seen Charlize Theron read the words “oh-so-happy trail.” Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live this Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET. Related Videos Behind The Scenes At The 2012 MTV Movie Awards Related Photos Books You Can Read Instead Of ’50 Shades Of Grey’
Georgia Davis, a 19-year-old sadly but accurately dubbed Britain’s Fattest Teenager, had to be rushed from her home to the hospital last week. Rushed in a relative sense. When the 840-pound Davis collapsed with breathing problems and chest pains in the bedroom of her home in South Wales, authorities underwent an amazing eight-hour operation to evacuate her out of the house and to a hospital. Georgia Davis Hospitalized A 40-man rescue team demolished the top half of her mom’s house with sledgehammers and a circular saw to make a 10-foot by 10-foot hole. They also tore down an internal dividing wall so Georgia Davis could be removed from her back bedroom which had become her own prison. Georgia was then airlifted out by crane on a special stretcher and transported via ambulance that had to be reinforced to take her weight. She had been “effectively immobile for six months” after her weight rocketed this year, pushing her to the brink with major health problems. She had weighed in at 460 pounds when she was just 15. Doctors told the Type 2 diabetic to lose at least 280 pounds or she would die. Davis lost 200 pounds through diet and exercise, but ultimately relapsed and ballooned to 840 pounds, thanks to a 13,000 calorie-a-day diet.
By popular demand, and after garnering much criticism, a Florida county is putting the racy romance trilogy Fifty Shades of Grey back on library shelves. Before reversing its decision, the Brevard County Library System was perhaps the most prominent of the many bans of the book occurring nationwide. The county pulled 19 copies of the best-sellers from its bookshelves earlier this month, calling the popular novels by EL James “semi-pornographic.” Monday, the county announced that Fifty Shades of Grey would be available immediately through the library in response to requests from residents. Library Services Director Cathy Schweinsberg said that the library was against censorship and was reviewing its selection criteria after negative feedback. Public libraries in several states have banned the book, saying it’s too steamy or poorly written. It’s definitely the latter, though you can’t ban it for that. Bottom line: Sometimes you gotta lighten up and give the people what they want … mind-numbingly cheesy, Twilight fan fiction-inspired softcore erotica. As soon as Universal won the movie rights to the best-selling “mommy porn” trilogy, fans have partaken in an intense, ongoing fantasy casting game. Tell us who should play Christian and Anastasia in the surveys below: Who should play Christian in 50 Shades of Grey? Who should play Ana in 50 Shades of Grey?
Kim describes origin of her beef with Nicki in interview on New York’s Power 105. By Rob Markman Lil Kim Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage was very forthcoming during her interview with New York Power 105’s Breakfast Club morning show on Thursday (May 17), especially about her feud with Nicki Minaj. Before Kimmy Blanco began fielding questions from show hosts DJ Envy, Charlamagne Tha God and Angela Yee, she questioned why media outlets don’t grill Ms. Minaj like they do her. “She has a way of trying to avoid the situation, and y’all let her do it,” Kim charged before she hit on the root of their issue. According to the Queen Bee, she was on pace to sign with Cash Money, the same label that made Nicki a star. “Me and Slim were friends for four years, and we decided that we were going to go into business together,” Kim said of her plans with CM co-CEO Ronald “Slim” Williams. “I was over there with Cash Money — I was getting ready to be partners with them.” The deal didn’t go through, but Kim did record “Grinding Makin’ Money,” a track that included both Birdman and Minaj. The Notorious K.I.M. claims that the track was slated for Birdman’s 2009 album Priceless but didn’t make the final cut. “They put the record out. I guess they didn’t like the response — they saw the response and they pulled the record off, pulled it back, never put it on his album, nothing,” Kim said. In the Big Momma’s mind, the single was to be beneficial to all parties. For Nicki and Cash Money, doing a song with the female rap great would help stamp a then-budding Minaj. In addition, it would put Kim back into rotation at radio, an important step in restarting her career after she was released from federal prison in 2006. But Birdman and company went cold on the track. “If that would’ve been a big video and a big event record, that would’ve been big for both of us,” Lil’ Kim reasoned. “But I personally think they didn’t want me to stand beside her, which is stupid.” Kim went on to claim that Nicki’s new record “Automatic” is strikingly similar to an unreleased record of the same name that she recorded and played for Cash Money brass three years ago. “On her new album, she has a song called ‘Automatic,’ and the song is so similar to the song that I played for Slim,” Kim charged. “The problem with her is she was very catty with it. I never had a problem with her — I was always, always nice with her, always. She was a very obnoxious person, but I was always nice with her.” Related Videos ‘RapFix Live’ With Lil’ Kim Related Artists Lil’ Kim Nicki Minaj
‘It’s giving us some ideas for future fantasies,’ one reader tells MTV News. By Fallon Prinzivalli, with reporting by Uptin Saiidi “Fifty Shades of Grey” book cover Photo: The Writer’s Coffee Shop “Fifty Shades of Grey” has become a worldwide, literary phenomenon. It’s a #1 New York Times best-seller and the most talked-about book in media. The sadomasochistic relationship between characters Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele has made its way into the hands of a variety of readers and hooked them into their torrid love affair. It’s become such a hit that Universal Pictures and Focus Features optioned the rights to the books after a massive bidding war, and fans are already campaigning for their favorite actors to land the lead roles. But what’s the reason for the book’s popularity? With countless erotic and romance stories on bookshelves, what makes “Fifty Shades” stand out? When author E L James headed to New York’s Union Square for a signing at Barnes & Noble, MTV News asked fans to weigh in on why they thought the work was widely recognized. For one, buzz surrounded the novel because of its origins. James adapted Christian and Ana from Stephenie Meyer’s Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, beginning the tale as “Twilight” fan fiction. “[James] took ‘Twilight’ to a next level, because as pure as [Edward and Bella’s] love was, it was not like this book,” one fan explained. “She took it to the next level and gave America something that they were waiting and looking for.” Another reader told us the mystery behind a dominant/submissive relationship is what sparked the frenzy. “I think this book has become such a phenomenon because it’s something that hasn’t really been spoken about before,” she said. “Women usually don’t talk about these things.” In agreement, another fan added: “Everyone has something that they want to enact. And they’re just not able to express it, but they’re able to read it.” Put in simple terms: “Fifty Shades” turns readers on. “It’s hot,” one woman said. “It’s totally sexy. I think we’ve got sex on the brain, and we want to read it. It’s really enjoyable and it’s giving us some ideas for future fantasies.” It also helps that Christian is described as “so hot” in the book. He’s a billionaire who takes Ana on helicopter rides and showers her in expensive clothing and gifts. He’s a woman’s fantasy, one of James’ followers explains. “All women relate to Christian,” she said. “They love him — all women, it doesn’t matter who you talk to. They’re like, ‘I like that guy. I want to date that guy.’ ” Why do you like “Fifty Shades of Grey”? Let us know in the comments below!
‘I officially have a lot of experience seducing younger women,’ ‘Vampire Diaries’ star tells MTV News. By Christina Garibaldi Ian Somerhalder Photo: WireImage Now that “The Vampire Diaries” has wrapped its third season, Ian Somerhalder will now have some time to fill, and if fans of “Fifty Shades of Grey” have their way, he’ll step into the role of Christian Grey . For weeks, fans have been voicing their opinions on who should play the billionaire tycoon in the film adaptation of the hit erotic trilogy penned by E L James. Robert Pattinson ‘s name has been in the mix, as well as Ryan Gosling, but it seems that most vans are gravitating toward the “Vampire Diaries” star to take on this dark and dynamic character. MTV News caught up with Somerhalder at the CW Upfronts in New York City on Thursday (May 17) and he revealed that playing the role of Damon in the “Vampire Diaries” has been perfect training to get him ready to portray Christian Grey. “I think it would be an amazing thing,” Somerhalder said of the possibility of getting the role. “One interesting thing is, by the virtue of playing Damon for now a few years, [he’s] 170 plus years old, in love with an 18 year old, I officially have a lot of experience seducing younger women. I’m not saying, I’m just saying.” “Fifty Shades of Grey” revolves around Christian Grey’s relationship with young college graduate Anastasia Steele as the two develop not only a strong emotional relationship, but a much-talked-about sexual relationship. The scenes are so hot that at times it has left readers, and even Somerhalder a little flushed. “A little bit, yeah, there’s blushing,” Somerhalder said of some of the S&M scenes. We are sure fans would agree that Somerhalder could easily pull it off, but his support isn’t just coming from the “Fifty Shades” fans , it is also coming from his “Vampire Diaries” co-stars. “I know he’s campaigning, I love it,” Candice Accola said of Somerhalder expressing his interest for the role. “I mean, the whole thing is like Adonis, sexy and he fits that bill pretty well.” Kat Graham agrees , “Ian’s an amazing actor, he’s extremely dedicated to his craft and he’s also very good to the fans,” Graham told MTV News at the annual Wango Tango concert. “They’d be lucky to have him.” Do you think Ian Somerhalder would make the perfect Christian Grey? Let us know in the comments.
From Ryan Reynolds to Alexis Bledel, book’s fans tell MTV News who they think should play the famous S&M couple in movie version. By Fallon Prinzivalli E.L. James at the “50 Shades Of Grey” Q&A in New York City Photo: Getty Images NEW YORK — Film adaptations of beloved novels never cease to cause frenzy among fans as to which actors deserve which roles. We saw it with “Twilight” and, more recently, with “The Hunger Games.” And E L James’ popular book “Fifty Shades of Grey” is no different. When the author made her way into New York’s Union Square for a book signing at Barnes & Noble, MTV News was on the scene to witness readers avidly campaigning for who they’d like to see land the lead roles. “Personally, I want Christian Bale to play Christian Grey because of his experience with ‘American Psycho,’ ” one fan told us. “I feel like he could be perfect. Some people think he’s too old, but this is Hollywood — we could fix that. You know, we can give him some laser, minimize some fine lines, he’s good to go. He’s the one. I want that one.” The rights to the New York Times best-seller were optioned by Universal Pictures and Focus Features back in March, which is when casting rumors began to swirl. The interest has yet to die down as both Ian Somerhalder and Alexander Skarsg
