'Fifty Shades' Movie Cast: Who Will Play Lead Roles in Steamy Film?

Cast rumors for a movie version of the erotic “Fifty Shades of Grey” are swirling, but right now the only things known for sure are the planned release date — Aug. 1, 2014 — and the director.

Speculation a movie was in the works has been titillating the public for weeks, first with the confirmation that Sam Taylor-Johnson will direct, then with producers Dana Brunetti and Michael De Luca committing, and now the studio has put a date on the project, according to StudioCrush.com.

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But The Hollywood Reporter said there’s some talk that the movie version won’t be in theaters, but may be a premium video-on-demand release. 

That would take care of some of the challenges of filming S&M bondage, and would allow the readers who were too shy to buy a copy of the book and ordered it on Kindle to get the video at home and avoid any embarrassment, THR reported.

A Universal studio insider denied the possibility of using premium VOD for the movie version of the best-selling book by E.L. James, according to THR. But it would solve a lot of marketing problems. Triple X ratings anyone? It’s a question people are wondering about.

I don't understand how 50 Shades can be converted to a movie without it being rated X

— Ashley Stocker (@ashleynstocker) June 27, 2013

Director Taylor-Johnson challenged the movie norm with the well-known scene of a man masturbating in the desert in “Death Valley.” So she’s not afraid of going where others may cower.

Now that it looks like the project is really going to happen, rumors are flying about who will play the leads. Some talk pointed to Taylor-Johnson’s 23-year-old husband (she’s 46), British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson, for the lead as billionaire Christian Grey, but the studio says no.

Twitter lit up with proposals for the S&M-loving Grey character, including Robert Pattinson and Matt Bomer. The hashtag #BomerforGrey is already on the loose.

Policymic.com put out their votes for top potential candidates to play Anastasia Steele, described in the books as a senior in college. On their list of 21 possibilities were Shailene Woodley and Kristen Stewart.

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