--- description: The director and screenwriter of the first film will not return for the second title: EL James' Husband Will Write 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Movie Sequel image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7d5f1af5a2637852/6987852406f2c18da433497a/1180627_full.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [movies](/tag/movies/) ## movies Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # E.L. James' Husband Will Write _Fifty Shades of Grey_ Movie Sequel  by [Eliana Dockterman](/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Correspondent Apr 22, 2015 11:07 PM CUT  Dakota Johnson, left, and Jamie Dornan in Fifty Shades of Grey Dakota Johnson, left, and Jamie Dornan in Fifty Shades of GreyFocus Pictures  by [Eliana Dockterman](/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Correspondent Apr 22, 2015 11:07 PM CUT _Fifty Shades of Grey_ author E.L. James has [enlisted](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/el-james-husband-writing-fifty-790859?utm%5Fsource=Sailthru&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fterm=hollywoodreporter%5Fbreakingnews&utm%5Fcampaign=THR%20Breaking%20News%5Fnow%5F2015-04-22%2014%3A49%3A30%5Fehayden "undefined") her husband to write the script for the film based on her book’s sequel, _Fifty Shades Darker_, reports the _Hollywood Reporter_. Niall Leonard, who has two sons with James, is an author and a screenwriter and worked on the first _Fifty Shades_ film, though he was not credited. E.L. James earned a reputation for demanding total control over her material during the filming of the first movie in the trilogy. She reportedly [clashed](http://time.com/3702696/fifty-shades-of-grey-sam-taylor-johnson-el-james/ "undefined") with director Sam Taylor-Johnson over the adaptation. Neither Taylor-Johnson, nor screenwriter Kelly Marcel, will return to the franchise for the second film. Though the first installment in the _Fifty Shades_ series grossed $568.8 million at the global box office, plans for the sequel have stalled. The departure of Taylor-Johnson sent the studio scrambling for a replacement, and stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan are reportedly both negotiating for more money. _Read next:_ [Fifty Shades of Grey](http://time.com/3702696/fifty-shades-of-grey-sam-taylor-johnson-el-james/ "undefined")[ _Director Didn’t Enjoy Working With Book’s Author_](http://time.com/3702696/fifty-shades-of-grey-sam-taylor-johnson-el-james/ "undefined") \[[_THR_](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/el-james-husband-writing-fifty-790859?utm%5Fsource=Sailthru&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fterm=hollywoodreporter%5Fbreakingnews&utm%5Fcampaign=THR%20Breaking%20News%5Fnow%5F2015-04-22%2014%3A49%3A30%5Fehayden "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3832277/el-james-husband-fifty-shades-movie-sequel/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3832277/el-james-husband-fifty-shades-movie-sequel/"},"headline":"E.L. 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