Dakota Johnson, 24, is not standing idly by while producers of the Fifty Shades of Grey adaptation search for her new leading man. According to Hollywood Life, the actress is looking to join the hunt. They report from an industry source, “For Dakota, she was sad that Charlie [Hunnam] had to back out but she is very excited to see who will take the role. She is in constant contact with producers and the studio and she is very willing to help out in any way and is looking forward to do readings with everyone who is available for the role.”
Fans of Johnson, who is cast as Anastasia Steele, were a little nervous with the troupe turbulence as the pairing of Johnson and Hunnam was reported to be based on their chemistry, but producers promise their commitment to Johnson is as solid as when they cast her back in early September.
But the rumor mill is certainly full of conjecture that the fame and pressure may get to Johnson as it did Hunnam.
MTV News jumped on the speculation about Hunnam’s replacement with a ranking of possible new Christian Grey billionaires, in addition to popularly rumored Matt Bomer and Ian Somerholder. They name Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood), Jamie Dornan (Once Upon A Time), Theo James (Downton Abbey) and Christian Cooke (Magic City) as their top nominees for the literary world’s reigning king of seduction.
Author of the book series, E.L. James, favors Robert Pattinson, who apparently has no plans to don another franchise role at this time.
Daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, Johnson is scheduled for two more 2014 releases in addition to Fifty Shades (due out 1 August 2014). Need for Speed with Aaron Paul, of Breaking Bad immortality, is in post-production and an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Cymbeline is currently filming.
[Image via Fifty Shades of Grey The Movie Facebook.]