'Fifty Shades of Grey' Director Sam Taylor-Johnson Out: Cites Conflict With Author E.L. James

The movie adaption of the series that brought BDSM into the mainstream is in need of a few key components. Fifty Shades of Grey's sequel Fifty Shades Darker will have to go on without director Sam Taylor-Johnson. Working with author E.L. James and her overpowering creative control that she was granted to her by Universal was too much for the director.

Taylor-Johnson made the big announcement Wednesday, March 25, during an interview with Deadline.

"Directing Fifty Shades of Grey has been an intense and incredible journey for which I am hugely grateful. I have Universal to thank for that," Taylor-Johnson told Deadline. "While I will not be returning to direct the sequels, I wish nothing but success to whosoever takes on the exciting challenges of Films 2 and 3."

One of the main reasons for the director's departure may have been due to her constant clashing with first-time author James. In the full statement, Taylor-Johnson thanked the film's two young leads but the author was notably left out. That may or may not have been on purpose.

You can hear Taylor-Johnson talk about their conflicts here.

During filming, James had one vision for the movie adaption of her book while Taylor-Johnson had others. In the end the movie's creative control Universal awarded James was too much for Taylor-Jonson to take on.

It's being said that contenders for the directorial position are Patty Jenkens, Bill Condon, Bennett Miller and Steven Soderbergh. No matter who it is, they will most likely have to do battle with the creative control James has. Being that the movie was such a juggernaut, though, that might not be so bad.

Fifty Shades of Grey had a $40 million budget but ended up grossing $164,138,290 in the United States. In the rest of the world the movie brought in $394,500,000. On the Valentine's Day opening alone it grossed more than $85,000,000. That's the biggest opening for a February movie ever. Universal more than made up for what it put in.

While Taylor-Johnson may be out, billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) and Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) will be returning. Both actors are under option deals for the next two films.