14 DAY TRIAL // The first feature film based on E.L. James’ adult novels, “Fifty Shades of Grey,” isn’t arriving in theaters until February 2015 but fans are already being treated to the first official look at Jamie Dornan as leading man Christian Grey in a brand new photo.
It was released on the official Facebook page of the film and, as usual, you can see the full version of it by clicking on the image above.
However, don’t expect it to be that thrilling: for a movie that’s supposed to bring to the screen the naughtiest and most popular love story to make it out in print in a very long time, this first promotional still is just a picture of a dude in a car. He could be selling any other movie, and least of all one that’s supposed to be all about S&M and hot action in the Red Room.
Plus, he is wearing too many clothes.
Still, Dornan does his best to smolder for the camera and, it would seem, that’s enough for some fans, who have already rushed to social media to say that they now believe him to be the perfect Christian Grey.
If you recall, after Charlie Hunnam was cast in the role and dropped out unexpectedly, Dornan was named as replacement and fans of the books (and there are millions of them!) found the choice ill-advised at best.
Dornan has had some appearances on the big screen but his most notable “role” so far is that of being an underwear model: a gorgeous one, but a model nonetheless. Many believed that he didn’t have the darkness of a Christian Grey, let alone the talent to portray such a flawed and deeply disturbed individual as this fictitious millionaire.
However, as these things go, time has worked in Dornan’s favor even with the angriest fans, because they have become a bit more pacified in recent weeks – and they might even give Dornan a chance in the role.
The same goes for Dakota Johnson, who plays Grey’s love interest, Anastasia Steele. She’s not included in this first promo photo (which is a crying shame, actually) but she’s already appeared in one teaser poster, so it’s like she and Dornan are even now.
However, it will be interesting to see the first official photo of these two together because, as fans point out, if they don’t have chemistry, this project is doomed.
No official word yet on when a first trailer is scheduled to be released, but there’s some buzz online that it won’t drop until this fall because of a new rule the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) has saying a movie can’t get a trailer sooner than 5 months before the theatrical release.
If that’s true, fans have a long wait ahead of them.
“Fifty Shades of Grey” also stars Jennifer Ehle, Luke Grimes, Marcia Gay Harden, Max Martini, Eloise Mumford, Dylan Neal, Rita Ora, Victor Rasuk, Callum Keith Rennie. It is directed by Sam Taylor-Wood.