Emma Watson & Matt Bomer are this week’s ’50 Shades of Grey’ casting rumors

Another day, another BS casting rumor about the screen adaptation of 50 Shades of Grey. It finally struck me the other day: why are people jazzed about this becoming an actual film that’s shown in theaters? It would be one thing if the required nudity and sexual situations had some sort of larger point (like Shame), but this is basically going to be “mom p0rn” anyway, so why not just make it an HBO or Showtime movie? That way it can be as dirty as it needs to be without having to worry about censors and ratings systems, which will just dull the “p0rn” part of the story and it will just become a stupid movie about a freaky dude ordering around his idiot girlfriend. Anyway, I guess that’s a conversation for another time. The latest casting rumors involve 22-year-old Emma Watson as Anastasia Steele, and Matt Bomer (34) as Christian Grey. Emma’s age is actually on-target with the character, but Christian is supposed to be late 20s, if memory serves. Also: Matt Bomer is WAY too good of an actor for this. And Emma is just… inappropriate for the role. In any case, the producers of 50 Shades say nothing’s really happening:

Former Harry Potter geek heroine Emma Watson is in talk in playing the role of Anastacia Steele in the movie adaptation of erotic novel “Fifty Shades of Grey,” New York Daily News reported.

The 22-year-old British actress is one of the prime choices for the role of Anastacia Steele in the “Fifty Shades of Grey” movie adaptation.

Anastacia Steele is a virgin college student who gets involved in sexual relationship with a young successful businessman Christian Grey after applying for a job post in Grey’s conglomerate. The novel depicts erotic scenes between the two that involve bondage activities.

Earlier this week, it was reported that Harry Potter alumnae Emma Watson is one of the frontrunners for the female lead. While “Vampire Diaries” heartthrob Ian Somerhalder is the top actor contemplated to play the role of the charismatic billionaire Christian Grey.

However, one of the film’s producers Dana Brunetti denied all casting rumors on the much awaited film. Brunetti tweeted, “All of the rumors on #FiftyShades are just that – rumors. No one has been cast in any role. We have to get a writer and director first.”

His partner in crime Mike De Luca also tweeted a confirmation that “no one’s been cast or even approached yet, all just rumors.” This means that the roles are still up for grabs.

Watson rose to fame as the 11-year-old Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series. After graduating from the series, Emma cut her hair short to symbolize her detachment from her child-like image and reinvent herself as a matured and independent woman.

Emma successfully made the crossover and is now invading Hollywood. She bagged the role of Sam in the movie adaptation of coming of age book “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” opposite Logan Lerman. Currently, Emma is busy filming a line up of films, Sofia Coppola’s “The Bling Ring” and Darren Aronofsky’s “Noah.”

The innocent-looking 22-year-old Emma Watson is the top candidate for the sexual role in the movie. However, the young actress did not release any comment yet if she is interested in playing for the film.

[From International Business Times]

Emma is trying to make herself into the next Natalie Portman or something – the child actress and good girl who successfully transitioned into a quality adult actor. While the 50 Shades role would definitely help to make Emma’s image more “adult” and take her out of the Harry Potter fan-universe, I really don’t think it would be a smart career move overall.

And I keep hearing Ian Somerhalder for Christian. And I keep thinking that’s completely appropriate. That is where the casting should be. Cast this junk straight out of the CW.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

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33 Responses to “Emma Watson & Matt Bomer are this week’s ’50 Shades of Grey’ casting rumors”

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  1. Julie says:

    everyone is just waiting for the robsten post 😉

    for this one. i doubt it. emma will take more meaningful roles that make her look more adult and its a smart choice to stay away from movies like this.

    i dont think emma watson is a good actress but looking at her imdb….wow. i would have never thought she would get offered such roles so fast.
    the roles she has lined up are impressive. im sure in two years we will know where she stands. i dont think there is middle ground, either she nails those roles and is set for a huge career or she screws up and her career is done.

  2. Crystal says:

    Matt Bomer is so hot. Lord. I would hit it like the fist of an angry god. He needs to stay away from this shit. I’m serious Matt. Don’t do it.

    I love Emma but lets be real, she can’t act. I don’t want her to go near this but it’s not like she’s too good for it. She can’t act for shit.

    Ian has aged badly. WTF happened?? He can’t act either. Like Emma, he acts with his eyebrows. That smirk he always has is bloody annoying too. Ugh. I heard he’s a really sweet guy though.

    Fifty Shades of Suck can diaf. The book is pure garbage and doesn’t deserve to be a movie. Haven’t we been through enough ??

    • Julie says:

      i agree with you, i also wrote that she cant act but then i think why are people offering her such big roles? why is sofia coppola casting her? for sofia it can be just box office appeal.

      • Angie says:

        Sofia Coppola worked also with Scarlett Johansson. Also an actress with limited range and who was a child star too. Same thing with Kirsten Dunst(though, I think Kirsten is a capable actress, she was better in Melancholia. And a better child actor than Emma, she was great in interview with a vampire). So, I don’t think Sofia is that much attracted to talent (although I think Elle fanning is great). Her female characters are often vapid and/or fashionable like Charlotte in Lost in translation or Marie Antoinette, so there are not very complicated roles (that’s why Scarjo was ok in lost in translation, I think she can’t act IMHO).
        And I always tought that Emma would be the perfect fit for a sofia coppola’s movie, anyway. But yeah, the girl is popular and she has a great agent because she is also working in darren Aronofsky. But I like Emma, she seems nice and cute and if Blake Lively is working with important director like Olivier Stone, why not Emma? Now, if she is cast in a Martin Scorsese or David Fincher’s movie, I will be more like WTF?

    • Aims says:

      Omg!!!!! I laughed so hard at your post that I have tears. My kids keep asking me whats so funny. Classic. No doubt he’s a hot man. Thank u for that, I needed a good laugh.

    • Aims says:

      Omg!!!!! I laughed so hard at your post that I have tears. My kids keep asking me whats so funny. Classic. No doubt he’s a hot man. Thank u for that, I needed a good laugh.

    • Lauren says:

      You made my day with that response Crystal! I’m still wiping the tears from my eyes I laughed so much.

  3. Sharon says:

    This movie will be horrible!!! Well let’s be honest – the books were horribly and atrociously written but we read them anyway 😮 anyway, there’s no way this will be even relatively interesting if they can’t get into the nitty gritty of the kinky sex scenes. And they won’t – because it will require a very strict rating (NC-17) if they actually stay true to the books, which will draw a very limited audience. So it will suck. That being said, I’ll probably watch it anyway *sigh*

  4. lil says:

    It’s cute that the fans actually think real movie stars would be interesting in starring in that junk. This is Jennifer Love Hewitt-quality. Should be a TV movie, because butt plugs and vibrators are not going to get this thing a decent rating.

  5. gee says:

    I feel like people are giving this stuff SO much weight. In like 5 or 10 years, we’re going to laugh at what a housewifey gimmicky trend this all is. It would be a horrible career choice, this is like AnnaLynn McCord territory, not ‘next Natalie Portman’ stuff.

  6. Vivian says:

    Gag…these are no better than the Twilight books….so not looking forward to anything related to it. Only will be interested to hear which actor and actress wants to do this film; don’t know if it’s a wise career choice or they are just wanting it to be another twilight type of success.

  7. lafairy says:

    I can’t see her in the role she is too much vanilla and it would be a bad career move, she should focus on other roles BUT the sexy/ or implying sexiness.

    She is pretty and cute but not sexy.

  8. Emily says:

    Well, someone’s re-written the entire thing into a Hermione and Draco fanfic, so she could be in that… I just don’t understand how this is a thing. Twilight makes more sense than this rubbish.

  9. Meg says:

    I think Emma is too smart to take the part, if any of this nonsense is true.

    I think the movie will make lots of $$ because all the women who read it will be dying to see if the movie will have as much sex as the book. Whether or not the movie will be “quality” I think we all know it WON’T be, because they don’t have quality to work with in the first place.

    While I don’t think I would go see it in theaters (I imagine Magic Mike type hysteria) I might rent it out of sheer curiosity someday.

  10. Talie says:

    James Franco just outed her as walking off the set of Seth Rogen’s latest movie because it was too racy, so I highly doubt it.

  11. Samigirl says:

    I really love Matt Bomer, but I sincerely hope this is one movie he doesn’t want to make. I’ll go see it if he does, but he is soooooo much better than 50 Shades.

  12. I keep waiting for her to deny this. I really can’t imagine her taking the role.Just, ick.

  13. marie says:

    this movie will be pure crap, I think they should just let it go-no one should agree to be in it..

  14. eileen says:

    Whether the book was shitty or not-Matt Boomer would hands down be the perfect Christian Gray. No doubt about it.

  15. Dannii says:

    I only came here to stare at Matt Bomer’s glorious face.

  16. Angie says:

    @ Talie:
    Yeah, I just saw this on internet, but not a lot of blogs mentionned it:
    http://westendsingleton.wordpress.com/2012/07/17/emma-watson-walks-off-end-of-the-world-set-confirmed/

    But James Franco is a douche, IMHO, I can’t stand him after how he acted at the oscars with the poor Anne Hathaway. So this little story seems unnecessary (he could just say that Mila is fearless and game for everything without outing this actress) and hypocrite when he also walked off the party after the oscars, leaving annie take the blame alone(but I kind of like to heard about the behind the scenes drama on movie set)
    But Seth is nice if he said he could cut the scene if she really felt embarrassed.

    • taxi says:

      Huh? Poor Anne Hathaway? How do you know what happened at the after-party? Oh, you were there?

      • Angie says:

        Um, It was all over internet: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/28/james-franco-skips-oscar-party_n_829183.html

        He skipped the party where he planned to perform (he even talked about it) when the show didn’t go well whereas Anne stayed, and acted as a professionnal. He didn’t even try when he hosted the oscars and when the critics panned the show, Franco blamed everyone around him: he critized Anne on Letterman, the show writers (he had a twitter feud with them, I think)… Anne was awkward and overreacted because she was trying to compensate for Franco who looked stoned and over it, IMHO. But she was classy about it and I just felt bad for Anne.

  17. Mrs. Ari Gold says:

    Even though she is a terrible actress she is working with S. Coppola and Darren Aronofsky because the studios forced these directors to hire her. She is considered to be a huge box office draw because of “Harry Potter” – she has tremendous name & face recognition with the age group that the studios are obsessed with reaching.

    They were forced to cast her, even though they are well established filmmakers, because their movies are ‘artsy’ and therefore are considered financially risky (hell, anything that’s not Spiderman is artsy to the studios).

  18. Reece says:

    No, NoNoNoNoNo…

  19. Mindy says:

    Okay… just lovely that everyone is saying ‘casting talks’ are happening now. If you follow both Mike DeLuca or Dana Brunetti on Twitter or facebook (the producers on the film)… they have both stated that they are NOT talking to any actors yet. Their main focus RIGHT NOW is finding the right screenwriter and director for the project. THAT’S ALL. All these casting rumors and supposed ‘talks’ that are taking place is bullshit and it’s pissing off Mr. Brunetti .. oh and he’s the type that will find unknowns for the roles JUST to piss off everyone.

  20. HappyJoyJoy says:

    ITA with making this a HBO feature, they won’t be able to get less than an NC-17 rating other wise. I also think Armie Hammer needs to be Christian Gray along side Kristen Stewart as Anastasia Steele. Mom porn, poor written, borderline hilarious sometimes… I still read’em and liked them. Can’t a mom just get her freak on with out people minding?! lol

  21. Jennifer says:

    No to Emma Watson. Yes to Ian Somerhalter. Yes to Sharon Stone as Elena (aka Mrs Robinson/the bitch troll).

    Hopefully, they combine all three books of the trilogy into ONE movie. At least then there would be a story line.

  22. Val says:

    Matt oh Matt, please stay away from this garbage! I also absolutely cannot see any chemistry happening between those two, and… honestly I don’t even want to think about it! I really don’t like her.

  23. Jill says:

    Can they find someone else. There are millions of people in this world they can’t get someone else to play this character. People are so lazy in trying to find real talent.

  24. Dee says:

    Love the idea that this movie should be aired on HBO or Showtime.

  25. Ianne says:

    I just can’t see Matt Bomer who has openly admitted to being gay plays the part of Christian Grey… no matter how good of an actor you are. In the campus paper interview that brought Anastasia to Christian Grey, she asked him if he were gay. This is a very intense moment that will essentially set the tone for both lead characters. It’s hard to imagine and be captivated by a Christian Grey who can never fall in love with Anastasia because they are on the same team! I think Ian Somerhalder is the perfect Christian Grey!!!