The author of the phenomenal erotic trilogy, E.L. James, tapped her husband, screenwriter Niall Leonard, to pen the screen adaptation of the second book in the series, "Fifty Shades Darker".
In a statement issued to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie's producer, Michael De Luca, said that Leonard "is an outstanding writer in his own right, with multiple established credits." De Luca further stated that they "are lucky to have him join Team Fifty."
Leonard, who is also an author himself, has written for various TV shows including "Ballykissangel," "Wire in the Blood," and "Monarch of Glenn" among others, and has directed episodes of "The Bill." His onscreen credits are mostly shown in the UK.
It has also been reported that Leonard had his hands on the script of "Fifty Shades of Grey" but was uncredited. Leonard and James are married and have two sons.
Incidentally, previous reports stated that James demanded total control over the production of the big-screen adaptations of her novels. After the alleged conflict over creative control during the production of the first film between James and director Sam Taylor-Johnson and screenwriter Kelly Marcel, it has been confirmed that the two will no longer be part of the sequel. A new director for "Fifty Shades Darker" is yet to be announced.
Meanwhile, the film's stars, Dakota Johnson, who plays the innocent and naive Anastasia Steele, and Jamie Dornan as the billionaire BDSM afficionado, are reportedly negotiating for a higher pay in the succeeding big screen installments of the trilogy, which may cause further setbacks for "Fifty Shades Darker."
With Taylor-Johnson and Marcel's exit, it was previously reported that James even considered to write the screenplay herself, but decided to tap on her husband's screenwriting background instead. However, it is still expected that James would call the shots for majority of the sequels, as this is part of the deal that the author struck with Universal Pictures.
In addition, according to Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley, "Fifty Shades Darker" is slated to be released by 2017, while the third and last book of the series, "Fifty Shades Freed" will be shown in theaters by 2018. Langley made the announcement during the recent CinemaCon in Las Vegas.
After the huge success of the first film, which earned $568.8 million across the globe, fans are eagerly anticipating the release of "Fifty Shades Darker." The second film is also expected to be a massive hit among movie-goers.