The film adaptation of E.L. James' best-selling "50 Shades of Grey" is slowly coming together.
Universal, who bought the rights to James' trilogy in March for $5 million, and producers Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti have narrowed their short list of potential screenwriters down to four unexpected names.
The candidates are Veena Sud,, Karen Croner, Kelly Marcel, and Dan Fogelman, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
- Sud is best know for developing the recently-cancelled "The Killing," and is penning a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's "Suspicion."
- Croner is adapting the Jean Hanff Korelitz novel "Admission" for Tina Fey and Paul Rudd to star in.
- Marcel is a writer and actress who created the short-lived Fox series "Terra Nova." She's also scripted "Saving Mr. Banks," a Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson film about to begin shooting.
- Fogelman, while the most experienced of the group, isn't exactly in his wheelhouse with the sexual material. His writing credits include the animated kids films "Bolt" and "Cars 2," which did earn an impressive $559,852,396 worldwide at the box office.
Notably absent from the list of potential writers is Bret Easton Ellis, who had been lobbying for the job all summer via his Twitter account.
When the "American Psycho" writer heard he didn't make the "50 shades" shortlist, he tweeted his feelings.
