Dakota Johnson has finally spilled on what it was really like to film Fifty Shades of Grey in the 2010s, calling it, in one word, “psychotic”. Tell us how you really feel.
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The actress even referred to the series as “those big naked movies” in a new interview, where she revealed production was plagued by “mayhem”.
Dakota confessed that the studio and directors were part of the problem, but also singled out the author of the books upon which the movie was based, E.L. James, who goes by Erika.
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“She had a lot of creative control, all day, every day, and she just demanded that certain things happen,” Dakota told Vanity Fair.
“There were parts of the books that just wouldn’t work in a movie, like the inner monologue, which was at times incredibly cheesy. It wouldn’t work to say out loud. It was always a battle.”
In fact, some lines in the movie were so cheesy that the actress rewrote them herself between days of filming.
That was after a fuming Erika had already thrown out one full script penned by playwright Patrick Marber after actor Charlie Hunnam, who was originally cast to play Christian Grey, pulled out of the film.
To say these movies had issues is an understatement – “it just became something crazy,” Dakota said.
She and Jamie Dornan, who ended up playing Christian in all three films, would even shoot multiple versions of the same scenes to try to get around Erika’s “demands”.
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First, they’d shoot a version for the movie she wanted to make, then they’d do new takes that better aligned with the movie they wanted to make.
So does she regret the movies that made her a household name?
“If I had known at the time that’s what it was going to be like, I don’t think anyone would’ve done it,” Dakota said.
“It would’ve been like, ‘Oh, this is psychotic.’ But no, I don’t regret it.”
She also addressed the rumours of a supposed feud between her and leading man Jamie on set, insisting that they’re like siblings and supported each other through the crazy production.
The actress was also careful to add that Erika is a “very nice woman” and that she was grateful to be cast in the films, which pushed her fame to new heights.
With her new Jane Austen film Persuasion set to hit Netflix in July, fans are excited to see Dakota take on a new – and much less sexy – role in the period piece.
Stream the full Fifty Shades Trilogy now on BINGE, live and on demand with a 14 day FREE trial. START FREE TRIAL.
Or read the original book trilogy, available via Booktopia.
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