E L James’ next two books include another erotica tale and a YA paranormal novel. By Fallon Prinzivalli “Fifty Shades of Grey” book cover Photo: The Writer’s Coffee Shop America’s new favorite erotica author is making the switch to the young adult genre. “Fifty Shades of Grey” — originally penned as “Twilight” fan fiction — follows the sadomasochistic affair of a handsome, business tycoon named Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, the college graduate he seduces. But with a whole trilogy under her belt telling the couple’s erotic tales — the sequels entitled “Fifty Shades Darker” and “Fifty Shades Freed” — author E L James is setting her sights on new stories. The author told USA Today that she has two more novels stashed up her sleeve. One is another sensual tale in the vein of “Fifty Shades” and the second is a young adult paranormal novel. “I’ve got several more good ideas, but how do you follow this?” she told USA Today of “Fifty Shades.” “I’ve set the bar quite high in terms of storytelling.” The rights to the book were optioned by Universal Pictures and Focus Features, sparking a frenzy surrounding what daring actors would take on the titillating characters. Ian Somerhalder and Alexander Skarsg
‘They are going to have to balance the sexy versus the smutty,’ one expert tells MTV News of fine line between R and NC-17. By Christina Garibaldi “Fifty Shades of Grey” Photo: The Writer’s Coffee Shop “Fifty Shades of Grey” is on quite the hot streak lately — so hot, it’s even been pulled from some library shelves . Millions of readers can’t put down E.L James’ erotic novel, which started out as fan fiction based on Edward Cullen and Bella Swan in “Twilight.” The book follows the unlikely romance of college student Anastasia Steele and billionaire tycoon Christian Grey. Both are looking for different things out of the romance: She yearns for lasting love while he’s strictly in it for the S&M. From the plot alone, it’s easy to see why “Fifty Shades” has become a best-seller, and now that it’s been picked up by Universal Pictures and Focus Features to be made into a movie, the question is: How can a book that screams for an NC-17 rating actually be made into an R-rated flick? “Making this movie will absolutely be a challenge. It is going to take a devoted director who admittedly likes the books and understands that, first and foremost, this is a love story,” Lisa Parker from FiftyShadesFilm.com told MTV News. “If telling the love story is the main focus, then we do believe the steamy sex scenes can be shot and edited in a way to get us an R-rated movie rather than NC-17.” Another factor to keep in mind is that bigger actors may be more eager to take on the lead roles if the content is a little more conservative. Robert Pattinson and Ian Somerhalder have already been rumored for the role of Christian Grey , and they might be wary to tackle an NC-17 movie. The director and screenwriter will also have to find a balance between the emotional love story and the sensual scenes, since the intimate part of the story is one of the big reasons people are clamoring to get their hands on this book. “I think they are most definitely going to have a challenge,” Mags Vazquez from LatersBaby.net said. “They are going to have to balance the sexy versus the smutty, and I think they’ll have a challenge, but it’s something that I’m sure they will be able to do tastefully.” If the studio is going for an R-rated film, readers will have to understand that not every sexual plotline of the story will make it onto the big screen. “I hopefully think the fans would be realistic and understand that they can’t show some of the things that they are talking about in that book,” Vazquez acknowledged. On the other hand, the sexual content of the story is what has made “Fifty Shades” so popular, and Parker believes that if it had an NC-17 rating attached to it, fans of the book will still make it a point to see the film. “That doesn’t mean that we believe having an NC-17 rating attached to this movie would make it less wildly popular. … The scenes that could make it necessary for this rating are part of the story, part of what makes ‘Fifty,’ ‘Fifty,’ “Parker said. “They also inform the relationship between Christian and Ana. Once again, we are confident that Ms. James will protect the integrity of her story regardless of the ultimate rating.” Do you think “Fifty Shades of Grey” will be an R-rated flick? Let us know in the comments! For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com .
‘They are going to have to balance the sexy versus the smutty,’ one expert tells MTV News of fine line between R and NC-17. By Christina Garibaldi “Fifty Shades of Grey” Photo: The Writer’s Coffee Shop “Fifty Shades of Grey” is on quite the hot streak lately — so hot, it’s even been pulled from some library shelves . Millions of readers can’t put down E.L James’ erotic novel, which started out as fan fiction based on Edward Cullen and Bella Swan in “Twilight.” The book follows the unlikely romance of college student Anastasia Steele and billionaire tycoon Christian Grey. Both are looking for different things out of the romance: She yearns for lasting love while he’s strictly in it for the S&M. From the plot alone, it’s easy to see why “Fifty Shades” has become a best-seller, and now that it’s been picked up by Universal Pictures and Focus Features to be made into a movie, the question is: How can a book that screams for an NC-17 rating actually be made into an R-rated flick? “Making this movie will absolutely be a challenge. It is going to take a devoted director who admittedly likes the books and understands that, first and foremost, this is a love story,” Lisa Parker from FiftyShadesFilm.com told MTV News. “If telling the love story is the main focus, then we do believe the steamy sex scenes can be shot and edited in a way to get us an R-rated movie rather than NC-17.” Another factor to keep in mind is that bigger actors may be more eager to take on the lead roles if the content is a little more conservative. Robert Pattinson and Ian Somerhalder have already been rumored for the role of Christian Grey , and they might be wary to tackle an NC-17 movie. The director and screenwriter will also have to find a balance between the emotional love story and the sensual scenes, since the intimate part of the story is one of the big reasons people are clamoring to get their hands on this book. “I think they are most definitely going to have a challenge,” Mags Vazquez from LatersBaby.net said. “They are going to have to balance the sexy versus the smutty, and I think they’ll have a challenge, but it’s something that I’m sure they will be able to do tastefully.” If the studio is going for an R-rated film, readers will have to understand that not every sexual plotline of the story will make it onto the big screen. “I hopefully think the fans would be realistic and understand that they can’t show some of the things that they are talking about in that book,” Vazquez acknowledged. On the other hand, the sexual content of the story is what has made “Fifty Shades” so popular, and Parker believes that if it had an NC-17 rating attached to it, fans of the book will still make it a point to see the film. “That doesn’t mean that we believe having an NC-17 rating attached to this movie would make it less wildly popular. … The scenes that could make it necessary for this rating are part of the story, part of what makes ‘Fifty,’ ‘Fifty,’ “Parker said. “They also inform the relationship between Christian and Ana. Once again, we are confident that Ms. James will protect the integrity of her story regardless of the ultimate rating.” Do you think “Fifty Shades of Grey” will be an R-rated flick? Let us know in the comments! For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com .
As the E.L. James novel bumps the dystopian drama from the top of the bestseller list, we ask a few of Panem’s faithful if fans should give it a read. By Amy Wilkinson Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth in “Hunger Games” Photo: Lions Gate Katniss Everdeen and her trusty bow and arrow can no longer fend off Christian Grey and his punishing whips — “Fifty Shades of Grey” has bumped “The Hunger Games” from its #1 perch on USA Today ‘s bestseller list . And it’s a contentious battle, to be sure. Seven of the top 10 are dominated by the various series installments by “Grey” author E.L. James and “Hunger Games” author Suzanne Collins. It probably goes without saying that the content of these two sagas couldn’t be more different: “The Hunger Games” is a teen novel chronicling a young heroine’s fight for survival in a televised death match against 23 other kids, while “Fifty Shades of Grey” is an erotically charged page-turner detailing the sexcapades of a billionaire and his young paramour. Yet, both have managed to capture the attention of publishers, producers and pop-culture pundits. While “The Hunger Games” was busy dominating the box office to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, Universal Pictures and Focus Features (perhaps inspired by Lionsgate’s success with the book-to-film adaptation) snatched up the film rights to James’ buzzy novel for an undisclosed sum. A few weeks later, the English author was named to Time ‘s 100 Most Influential People in the World list. Full disclosure: I’ve been hesitant to pick up “Fifty Shades of Grey” owning to its “Twilight” fanfic roots and “mommy porn” reputation, but as someone who writes about both books and films, I’ll eventually need to become familiar with the life and times of Christian Grey — for purely professional reasons, of course. But is there anything in it for “Hunger Games” fans looking for another high-profile novel to devour? I asked a few of Panem’s faithful. “I haven’t actually read ‘Fifty Shades of Grey,’ but I confess that way back in the day, when it was called ‘Master of the Universe’ and was posted for free online as ‘Twilight’ fan fiction, I did read it,” said Hunger Games Examiner ‘s Sara Gundell. “It is a dirty, dirty story — but hey, sometimes filthy fan fiction is fun to read. And while there is plenty of ‘Hunger Games’ fan fiction online (and plenty of it is also dirty), I’m not sure ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ will appeal to most fans of ‘The Hunger Games’ based on what attracted them to that series. There isn’t really any way to compare the two. They don’t have similar themes, and the characters don’t share any similar traits. They really are nothing alike. That doesn’t mean some ‘Hunger Games’ fans won’t enjoy it, but I can’t see it having any sort of universal, crossover appeal. They just don’t have anything in common, really.” For MTV News staffer Christina Garibaldi, the saucy series served as a palate cleanser after the death and destruction of the dystopian drama. “As a reader of both ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Fifty Shades of Grey,’ I have to admit I’m a huge fan of both,” she said. “Both stories have taken their audiences by storm, but keep in mind that ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ does skew a little older and to women, while ‘Hunger Games’ seems to please both male and female readers. Yet, if you are anything like me and enjoy mixing up your reading between love stories and action novels, then pick up both books! You will not be disappointed.” Then there’s The Hob ‘s Megan Scott, who says she sees at least one (tongue firmly in cheek) similarity: hunger. “I have been sucked into the ‘Fifty Shades’ vortex and am enjoying it immensely,” she said. “Anything that is getting a lot of hype and is considered controversial I’ll pick up. There really is nothing that really comes to mind that would intrigue an “HG” fan other than the common theme of hunger, but let’s face it, Christian Grey’s hunger is the different sort.” Consensus: While the two best-selling series share very little in common thematically, odds are in your favor that “Grey” may be as hard to put down as “The Hunger Games.” Have you read or do you plan to read “Fifty Shades of Grey”? Sound off in the comments below and tweet me @amymwilk with your thoughts and suggestions for future columns! Earlier ‘Hunger Games’ columns + ‘Catching Fire’: Five Reasons To Be Stoked + ‘Catching Fire’ Director: Who Could Carry The Torch? + ‘Hunger Games’ Postmortem: Five Lessons For ‘Catching Fire’ Check out everything we’ve got on “The Hunger Games.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com .
While visiting Ryan Seacrest’s show, The Vampire Diaries ‘ Ian Somerhalder revealed that he might be “potentially” up for the role of gazillionaire playboy/closet BDSM freak Christian Grey in the big screen adaptation of E. L. James’ breathless erotica 50 Shades of Grey . To which I say: Yes. I’ll allow it. That said, Somerhalder was choosing his words so carefully it’s hard to tell exactly how far in the casting process he might be, so take it with a grain of salt. Oh, and enjoy the mental image of Ryan Seacrest listening to the squirmier parts of the 50 Shades audiobook at the valet stand. Somerhalder is a touch older than the 27-year-old bondage-obsessed hero of the 50 Shades trilogy, but as you can see from his hit CW show he may look 20-something for all of eternity. (Recall his turn in 2002’s The Rules of Attraction , lest ye think he’s just some pretty face from TV.) I still can’t believe they’re attempting to adapt the dirtiest, most melodramatic piece of Twilight fan fic I’ve ever read into a movie. Let’s hope Universal & Focus keep it authentically almost-porny. This movie can’t come fast enough, so to speak. [via Celebuzz ]
“Do you like it when he’s rough?” With these words, and accompanying visuals, Barbara Walters made Elisabeth Hasselbeck crack up, viewers scratch their heads and Whoopi Goldberg’s “eyes bleed.” The 82-year-old was yammering about sex this morning The View, inspired by the erotic novel series 50 Shades of Grey , in which a 20-something girl starts a relationship with an attractive, wealthy man who’s into bondage and S&M. Suffice to say, it was an awkward: Barbara Walters-Elisabeth Hasselbeck Sex Talk Hasselbeck, a married mother of three, sort of dodged the question by saying she’s on a break right now … but for Whoopi and others, the damage was done. For a less disturbing discussion of this hot topic, follow this link to tell us who you think should play the leads in the upcoming 50 Shades of Grey movie .
It started off as Twilight fan-fiction ( and it reads like it ), but now E.L. James’ novel Fifty Shades of Grey is now a bona-fide publishing sensation, with Fifty Shades and its sequels, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Free , occupying the top three spots on The New York Times’ best-sellers list ; the books are referred to as “Mommy porn” thanks to their popularity amongst middle-aged women. So why should you care? because the Fifty Shades series are pornographic (or “erotic,” if you’re feeling polite) novels full of explicit, kinky sex scenes – and Universal has bought the movie rights! The movie version of Fifty Shades of Grey , like the book, will tell the story of 21-year-old college student Anastasia Steele, who is initiated into the BDSM lifestyle by an older, dominant businessman named Christian Grey. No word yet on who will star in the film or how extensively the studios will change the storyline ( People Magazine expresses a popular opinion when it says ” Anyone who’s read even a slice of the steamy trilogy knows that a film wouldn’t do the book justice within R-rated territory “), but we’re turning fifty shades of purple at the possibilities. See sexy stars bound to please with our sexy selection of B&D/S&M themed movies right here at MrSkin.com!
Metallic make up is having a shining moment. Eyes, cheeks, lips and nails can all pull off this season’s prettiest bronzy neutrals with these top 18 picks from Marie Claire. 6 Best Shades Of Blue Nail Polish For Summer 5 Need-To-Know Things About Sunscreen GET THE REST HERE!
Unlucky in love, what?? Jennifer Aniston was looking absolutely amazing leaving Good Morning Americ a while promoting The Bounty Hunter . Love the dress…love the shoes…love the shades!
Breaking Sports Video
