Christian Grey may have a secret side to him left unknown, but guess what? So do his novels and movies. We all focus on what’s racy and controversial, but there’s actually so much we don’t know about the Fifty Shades saga that’s actually quite interesting (like how a hotel swapped the Bible for the erotic novel!).
So, if ever you wondered how the cast filmed their scenes, or what novel rival, J.K. Rowling thinks of her competitor, continue to read on. Here are 12 Fifty Shades of Grey facts that you may not have known until now…
1. Other Actors Were Meant for the Role
For those who were disappointed with the casting of Jamie Dornan, here’s some news for ya! Due to popular demand at the time, Sons of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam was originally cast as Christian Grey. Due to scheduling conflicts, however, the actor had to drop out. #Gutted! In other news, Pretty Little Liars actress, Lucy Hale auditioned to play Anastasia Steele but dubbed the role as “uncomfortable” and “embarrassing”.
2. The Books Had a Different Title
Before it became a best-selling book, the author, E.L. James had a different title for her story. “Fifty Shades of Grey” was actually called “Master of the Universe”. Another fun fact? She wrote Christian and Ana’s story based off some Twilight fan-fiction! The fan-fiction was published on various websites, and when she was asked to remove it (due to steamy content regarding Twilight characters), E.L. James went on to extend her story and make it a full-on novel.
3. A Hotel Swapped the Bible for Fifty Shades
Here’s a shocking fact for you to digest! When everyone was obsessing over the first Fifty Shades of Grey book, hotel owner, Jonathan Denby decided to make use of the highly popularized novel. Instead of having Bibles in the bedside cabinet, the Damson Dene Hotel had copies of the steamy book provided, instead! Denby told the Daily Mail, “Fifty Shades of Grey is all that people are talking about at the moment, but I know that some are too shy to buy it for themselves. I thought it would be a special treat for our guests to find it in their bedside cabinet and that includes the men too.”
4. Some Celebs Love It, Others Loathe It
Admit it, Fifty Shades isn’t exactly favored by every book-nerd or movie-goer out there – the story has been slated or ignored by many. Included is Harry Potter author, J.K. Rowling who reportedly refuses to read the book. On the other hand are celebrities who are big fans of the best-selling novel- Oprah has revealed it is her “guilty pleasure”, while One Direction star, Harry Styles allegedly reads it to pick up on girl tips!
5. Dakota Johnson Didn’t Go Completely Uncovered
You’d think being in your birthday suit was a set-rule for an actor in Fifty Shades, but fortunately, Dakota didn’t have to go completely bare-skinned for the role. Cosmopolitan revealed that the actress had to wear “a patch” on her private area, while The Mirror reported that she had a body double for the spanking scenes. So, any “hair” that you might have spotted, was actually CGI’d during post-production!
6. The Novel Prompted Rope Sales
During its initial craze, the Fifty Shades of Grey novel actually prompted rope sales in hardware stores. Women and men alike were so inspired by Christian and Ana’s bedroom (or Red Room) antics, that they wanted to recreate them using similar props. According to Business Insider, Lexington Hardware in NYC was packed with women on the hunt for “soft cotton rope.”
Know a big fan of the show? Surprise them with these super-cool Fifty Shades of Grey gifts!
7. The Book Has Outsold Harry Potter
That’s right! Fifty Shades of Grey outsold the Harry Potter book series on the UK’s Amazon site in 2012. According to the Independent at the time, “JK Rowling’s final book in the Potter series, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, is being outsold by the first book in the James trilogy, Fifty Shades Of Grey, by more than two to one on the website.” Now, if that’s not what you call crazy, we don’t know what is! What’s more? The book by E.L. James is actually the best-selling book of the past decade in the United States!
8. Jamie Dornan’s Wife Hasn’t Watched It
Normally, partners are front-row supporters when their spouses star in a popular movie, but not in this case. And really, who can blame her? Jamie Dornan’s wife, Amelia Warner has never seen the first movie. “She hasn’t watched it,” Jamie admitted to ET Online. “Why would she watch it?” True, that. Nobody wants to see their hubby getting down with another on screen, right?
9. E.L. James Listened to a Specific Playlist When Writing
We all enjoy listening to some good old music whilst writing, it tends to inspire us and kick-start our creativity. Well, E.L. James can say the same for her skill when drafting up the steamy scenes in her novel. She apparently listened to the likes of Bruce Springsteen, the Black Eyed Peas, Frank Sinatra, Kings of Leon, and Britney Spears for some naughty inspiration!
10. It’s One of the Highest-Grossing Films
No matter how much critics disliked the film, Fifty Shades of Grey still reigned! In fact, it is officially one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, grossing over $500 million worldwide. Despite making a lot of money, the romance movie is contrarily ranked as one of the worst films on IMDb with a cringe-worthy rating of 4.1. Oops!
11. The Intimate Scenes Were Filmed Last
It must be totally awkward filming intimate scenes with a co-star you’ve only recently met. For this reason, the steamy scenes in Fifty Shades were actually saved until the end of production so Dakota and Jamie had plenty of time to get to know each other.
12. The Props Used Were Real, But Modified
Talking about awkwardness, it must be majorly weird to have someone using props and toys on you whilst being filmed. It’s obviously painful, too. So in order to reduce any pain inflicted on Dakota, the (very real) props were modified with rabbit fur or softer leather. We bet it still hurt, though! EEK!
It may be one of the lowest rated movies (and books for that matter), but there’s clearly quite a lot to know about this popular saga that we can’t escape. Besides, behind-the-scenes details and pop culture trivia are always fun to read!
So, what was your favorite fact about Fifty Shades of Grey? Do you know any other trivia about this book-turned-movie? Let us know in the comments below!
