Never have I seen all of this angst over a successful film. As soon as Fifty Shades of Grey made crazy money during its opening weekend, everyone involved with the film lost their damn minds. Sam Taylor Johnson is likely going to jump ship. Universal can’t get their act together to formally announce the sequel. Dakota Johnson and Jamie are… well, they haven’t lost their minds, they just seem sort of over it in general. But E.L. James is probably the worst person involved here. Universal gave her unprecedented authority over her (Twihard fan-fic) material. The books are crap and Sam Taylor Johnson and screenwriter Kelly Marcel worked hard to make the film into something watchable and enjoyable, with E.L. James second-guessing them and pulling her weight around the entire time. Now, Variety reports, E.L. wants to try her hand at screenwriting. She wants to assert control over the script for Fifty Shades Darker.

Now that “Fifty Shades of Grey” has become an international box office phenomenon, author E.L. James is seeking more control over the sequel by writing the script herself. Universal Pictures, which had been resistant to the idea, is currently discussing the potential move with James, who wrote the bestselling erotic trilogy about Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, Variety has learned.

Given the success of “Fifty Shades of Grey,” which has so far grossed more than $300 million worldwide, the next logical step would be for the studio to announce the greenlight to its sequel, “Fifty Shades Darker.”

According to insiders, the delay in the production of “Fifty Shades Darker” is related to the fact that Universal execs and James are still arguing over details. Unlike most successful franchises, which aim to retain the team behind the first film, it appears that “Fifty Shades” will undergo a dramatic creative reshuffling in the weeks to come. Sources close to the project don’t expect director Sam Taylor-Johnson or screenwriter Kelly Marcel to be back for the second installment, though reps for the studio say no official decisions have been made.

“The studio had always intended to sit down with the author after the film opened and discuss next steps, and that has not yet happened,” said a Universal spokesman.

If James does write the screenplay for “Fifty Shades Darker,” it could mean a later release date for the sequel. James has never written a film before, and the studio may need to factor in extra time for revisions. But as in the case of Gillian Flynn, who wrote both the book and screenplay for “Gone Girl,” the project could potentially benefit from an author adapting her own characters. Because of this uncertainty, production on “Fifty Shades Darker” likely won’t get under way until the first quarter of 2016. That would mean the sequel wouldn’t arrive until late 2016 or the first quarter of 2017. Without a shooting script or start date, having the movie ready for next year’s Valentine’s Day is highly unlikely.

[From Variety]

I bet Universal’s executives are banging their heads against the desk right about now. Why did they ever give E.L. so much control? I mean, they’re making money, for sure, but is all of that money worth the stupid headaches and constant bickering coming from E.L.’s authority. It would be different if E.L. was more well-versed in the filmmaking process, the give and take of ideas, the collaboration of it all. It would also help if she could write worth a damn. Instead, the sequel is going to be full of references to “down there,” Ana’s “inner goddess” and MOAR lip-biting.

Photos courtesy of WENN.