Universal has announced that Niall Leonard, the husband of author E.L. James, will be writing the script for "Fifty Shades Darker," the second story in the "50 Shades" trilogy.
Time Magazine reported that James originally wanted to do the screenplay, but the studio was worried she lacked the experience for writing for film. Her husband, however, is more attuned to the process, having done British TV series like "Wire in the Blood" and "Air Force One Is Down," apart from writing his "Crusher" book series. James also helped with the screenplay of the first "Fifty Shades" movie with Kelly Marcel.
In February, Marcel announced that she no longer wants to take part in the sequel, as stories about James wanting to take more creative control in the writing process have been reported in the press. The director of the first movie, Sam Taylor-Johnson, has also left the production.
"Niall is an outstanding writer in his own right, with multiple established credits, and we are lucky to have him join Team Fifty," Michael De Luca, the producer of "Fifty Shades" said in a report from Us Weekly.
"Fifty Shades of Grey" stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan have both signed on for the sequel. The first film grossed over $568.8 million at the box office worldwide. But because of these snags in doing the second movie, the release date of the sequel is still undetermined.
The second book in the "Fifty Shades" trilogy starts off with Anastasia Steel breaking off with Christian Grey. She also has a new career at a Seattle Publishing House and eventually receives a new arrangement with her former love. They rekindle their affair.
"Fifty Shades of Darker" was published in 2012.
