Tag Archives: 50 Shades

OFFICIAL Fifty Shades of Grey Merchandise

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The official Fifty Shades of Grey line of merchandise is starting to hit stores! E L James was thrilled to see fans wearing t-shirts from Hot Topic on her recent U.S. Book Tour.

The CopCorp Licensing spokesperson we talked to said, “Hot Topic is a retail partner where fans can look for official merchandise. In a few weeks, fans should also be able to find officially licensed merchandise (starting with t-shirts) at Amazon, Icing, and other retailers.”

Fans can look forward to t-shirts, fashion knit tops, hoodies, loungewear, sleepwear, hosiery, and more from licensed retail companies FREEZE Clothing (which includes Hot Topic), Briefly Stated, and HYP.

It was also announced today that the author has partnered with UK company Lovehoney for an official Fifty Shades of Grey Collection of sex toys inspired by the books.

SOURCE

According to Team Fifty, Lovehoney “is for UK, Europe and Australia and we hope to have some news re the US sex toy business very soon.”

Since we’re dealing with an international market, things can be a little confusing. We will do our best to keep you updated as more official merchandise becomes available across the markets. Be sure and check out the “Merchandise” tab at the top of our page when you stop by.

The main thing to keep in mind is that there is a lot of unauthorized merchandise out there. The official brand name is FIFTY SHADES OF GREY. For example, you will be able to identify official apparel because it will have FIFTY SHADES OF GREY printed beneath the graphic design followed by a “TM” (trademark).

We know that Team Fifty appreciates the passion all of us have for celebrating the trilogy. That is why they have worked hard to bring us a quality line of clothing and accessories. We hope you will join us in supporting them!

50 Shades Author E L James Tours the Land of Fifty

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With the author’s second U.S. book tour taking her to Washington and Oregon, she finally got to visit locations that she brought to life in the Fifty Shades Trilogy.

For those of you not able to follow along as the story unfolded, here is a montage of images from her Twitter timeline and the official Fifty Shades Trilogy Facebook page.

E L JamesE L James ‏@E_L_James

Seattle :’) http://yfrog.com/h0v8lahsj 

You can see the Space Needle @AFMtoo http://yfrog.com/nv115echj 

Pike Place Market http://yfrog.com/gye39eepj 

First Starbux :) http://yfrog.com/ntvbqrtj 

The Sound :) http://yfrog.com/mo4vwmcj 

Elliot Bat Marina http://yfrog.com/ocbwroguj 

:D http://yfrog.com/kf7moeej 

@E_L_James the 6 letters of the alphabet that can make millions of women squeal!!! #Escala #homeOfTheKinkyFuckery

Space Needle from the Escala penthouse :) http://yfrog.com/kfuzkdaj 

From Official Fifty Shades Trilogy Facebook Page

Balcony :) http://yfrog.com/gyx5pjxwj 

Escala roof :D http://yfrog.com/j2tscopj 

From Official Fifty Shades Trilogy Facebook Page

Wine Cellar at Escala… :D http://twitpic.com/axdpw6 

@E_L_James The smile on your face says it all, E . . . your inner goddess is doing jumpy claps :)

E L JamesE L James ‏@E_L_James

Cosmo…at the Zig Zag Cafe :D #excellentcosmopolitanhttp://yfrog.com/hs453gvqj 

@E_L_James at the Zig Zag.. ? Sawyer will be in trouble for this and so will you. LOL

E L JamesE L James ‏@E_L_James

Seattle Rocks. I love it.

From Official Fifty Shades Trilogy Facebook Page

Today’s catch Pike Place Market http://yfrog.com/oezskjkzj 

Sbux…from the original Sbux – Latte. Simple. Perfect. Yum.http://yfrog.com/kf592aaj 

Beautiful view…Kate and Ana live close by… http://yfrog.com/h0v0qotmj 

@E_L_James looking at all your photos, I feel like I’m walking around inside your books!!! Love them!! Thanks for sharing with us all xxxxxx

E L JamesE L James ‏@E_L_James

For those who might enjoy fishing.. http://yfrog.com/nvniuztfj 

Thanks for a wonderful stay. <3 http://yfrog.com/o04jvsij 

@E_L_James OMG…this is where C&A stayed when Leila was aftr them

@dec39sag it is…and the Fairmont put me in the suite it’s bigger than my house!

@E_L_James is it the same suite Ana and Christian stayed in? X

@fiftyjojo Yes. And now I have stayed there :) #ItWasWonderful…

Cascade suite :) http://yfrog.com/odn7ctbxj 

Sweet dreams :) http://yfrog.com/h2jrjkcj 

Dining room behind… http://yfrog.com/odyzsmaj 

@E_L_James You do know you’ve forever changed how we view pianos, right? ;)

Dining room http://yfrog.com/odhjnfij 

Close… :D http://yfrog.com/kg43nymij 

:D http://yfrog.com/h8hyebhj 

Campus http://yfrog.com/j2y5ngkj 

E L JamesE L James ‏@E_L_James

Many an hour spent here http://yfrog.com/ocp4veuj 

For my favourite neighbourhood megalomaniac http://yfrog.com/ocv7wcnrj 

Awwww http://yfrog.com/o0kf6fij 

Good books :D http://yfrog.com/mnomltij 

Student Newspaper http://yfrog.com/od98bygmj 

View from my bed… http://yfrog.com/kjxx7ffj 

Hmmm…bed http://yfrog.com/odq3rikj 

@E_L_James would it be too forward to say I wanna be in your bed? *waggles eyebrows*

@Jburdick1 Come snuggle… room has been redone… normally they have sunbursts above the bed. :)

@E_L_James I sooo wish I could! Ooohhh the Heathman? Very nice! I’m loving the pics by the way! I’m living vicariously through you ;)

E L JamesE L JamesVerified‏@E_L_James

Goodbye :’) http://yfrog.com/nwd3eusj 

A special thanks to E L James for sharing her epic trip in real time with fans. As surreal as it was for us, we can only imagine what it was like for her!

To see more pictures, check out her Twitter timeline (@E_L_James) and the official Fifty Shades Trilogy Facebook page (here).

50 Shades Casting Recommendations

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Another list of who should play which roles in the upcoming movie? Nah! We already know we can’t all agree on one choice. But maybe there are some elements to the casting recommendations we can agree on without mentioning any names.

Here are our top 7 casting recommendations:

1. Bring onboard actors that have actually read the books! A lot of actors keep talking about how they haven’t seen a script. There’s a reason for that – it hasn’t been written yet! So why not cast actors who have gone out of their way to read the books and made positive statements about wanting to be a part of the movies?

2. Think promo time – representation will be key! Some actors and actresses are just more comfortable talking about their roles and involvement with a movie than others. Some look at promo time as a chance to really reach out to the fans and say they are proud of the work and hope the fans will enjoy the movie, while others will show up because it’s in their contract, not that we’re mentioning any names.

3. Don’t bring anyone onboard who has a history of not playing nice with his or her costars.  We’ve all heard rumors of various stars not getting along on set over the years. And we’ll dance around a recent dispute between two male co-stars, but we’re not mentioning any names. Let’s save the drama for the story!

4. Bulk up the cast! If relative unknowns are found for the title roles, then support them with some really great well-known, seasoned actors. On the other hand, if major stars are cast in the lead roles, surround them with other recognizable stars, no matter what the cost! Bottom line: The fans have fallen hard for ALL the characters in this story and have envisioned ALL of the roles. We want to see the characters cohesively all come to life and tell their stories.

5. Cast at least some of the actors/actresses against type! Sure it’s easy to identify some of the book characters with other characters we’ve known who have similar qualities, but casting based on that may overlook the talent of various actors/actresses. When it comes to this movie, we are sure all involved will go out of their way to rise to the occasion (no pun intended – maybe).

For instance, perhaps an actor who has previously played a beloved superhero should play Jack Hyde, not that we’re mentioning any names.

And maybe Elena could be played by an actress who is best known for a late ’80s movie in which her character was a lot like Ana – a naive, young woman who was taken with the handsome yet tormented dancing instructor, but we aren’t mentioning any names.

6. Let’s look at the movies as a long-term franchise and be sure we have actors and actresses who are committed to the entire project. Continuity in a franchise means so much! So much is being invested into casting that we’d hate to see stars be replaced in upcoming movies because the original actor decided to walk away from the role, but we’re not mentioning any names.

7. So you think you can act, singer? You know how there are popular singers that decide they would like to try out acting? More power to them, but not all of these crossroadsovers are successful; and because this will be more than one film, let’s agree to gainfully employ actors and actresses who aren’t just testing the waters from their popular music career.

Do you have any casting recommendations for TeamFifty, without mentioning any names?

Niall Leonard: The Master of 50 Shades Author E L James’s Universe

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This new article from The Guardian features a very witty and charming Niall talking about his first novel, Crusher, and the unbelievable journey that he and his wife have been on, watching her stories go from fanfiction to bestselling novels.

“If on entering your local bookshop you can find your way past the teetering stacks of EL James’ Fifty Shades trilogy, you might come across a slim new crime novel, Crusher. That one’s mine. Perceptive reviewers have noted that the hero’s father, Maguire, is an embittered Irish hack consumed with envy of his peers. That must be you, they insist. What modern novelist doesn’t envy EL James, the 40-something TV executive and mother of two who has outsold Dan Brown and Stieg Larsson, turbo-boosted the turnover of UK bookshops, and left men the world over begging for less sex and more sleep? But my book is a gritty urban murder mystery; Fifty Shades is an erotic romantic fantasy, and I couldn’t have written it in a million years. I’m the least romantic fecker that ever lived – ask my wife Erika, aka EL James. Our first Christmas together I bought her a tin opener, and my earliest experience of kinky sex was her trying to shove it up my arse.”

“Erika wrote Fifty Shades to entertain herself and a few online friends. She never dreamed it would become a bestseller, still less a landmark in publishing or a figure of speech.”

“Our families and friends were, and are, as thrilled and proud and as amazed as we are, and we soon realised everyone in our street, and eventually the entire neighbourhood, knew exactly who EL James was. All the locals have been lovely, and said very little about it, apart from the occasional polite request for Erika to sign a book. Journalists ask if fans turn up on our doorstep asking silly questions. No, but journalists do. Do we have a dungeon? Or a Red Room of Pain? Maybe, and maybe there’s a helicopter pad on the roof in case Christian Grey drops in for a spanking. Fifty Shades Of Grey is a fantasy – have they forgotten what that means? Do they chase JK Rowling down the street daring her to use her Avra Kedavra spell? Do they ask Hilary Mantel how many courtiers she’s beheaded?”

We cannot begin to do justice to the rest of his words, so we encourage you to read the entire article here — Meet Mr Fifty Shades: EL James’s husband speaks out

To preorder his book, go here — Crusher

Synopsis: The day Finn Maguire discovers his father bludgeoned to death in a pool of blood, his dreary life is turned upside down. Prime suspect in the murder, Finn must race against time to clear his name and find out who hated his dad enough to kill him.

50 Shades – The Interview Scene

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Today, the Inner Goddesses from the blog have gotten together to discuss the interview scene!
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Quite frankly, we were mesmerized by it the first time we watched. The words we had read over and over were coming to life right before our eyes.
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Was it as unexpected and surreal for you as it was for us?
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We are definitely offering kudos to the actors and team who made the video. The word for word book dialogue is intense, and we were happy to watch it with eager eyes and applaud their efforts.
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But for a bit of fun, and maybe even future reference for Ms. James and the Team Fifty she is assembling, we thought we would dissect it a bit. We encourage you to leave your thoughts in the comments. You just never know who will stop by and read them.
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Their Looks

Christian: As we stated in the ‘Suits’ post (here), we expect Christian to be dressed impeccably in an expensive and perfectly pressed suit and carry himself with enviable posture as his way of presenting to the world how important control is to him. This Christian is too slouched and his suit too relaxed. Were the sleeves of his suit too short? That was more than just a slight bit of cuff showing.

Ana: The actress is very pretty though much different than how any of us envisioned Ana. Still, that’s not a bad thing. There is some room for variation when it comes time for casting as long as the chemistry is there. We all agreed that the stockings, however, are very un-Ana. In the book, Ana sees her hair as untamable and her outfit very conservative.

Their Demeanor

Christian: He’s calm, and his words never elude him, which is in line with the book, but we expect his delivery to be a little less stern and a little more coy, flirtatious even, while still trying to impress Ana. His expressions should include a bit of a smirk—after all, he wants her at this point (as he admits later in the book), and he knows his words hold a double entendre. He is perhaps toying with her, just to read her reactions.

Ana: She’s neutral. We appreciated how she threw in the “control freak” seemingly under her breath but not really. Ana was nervous and overwhelmed with thoughts of cursing out Kate for the questions and reading into Christian’s answers, none of which were displayed here.

The Flashes

Christian: None of us could get onboard with Christian’s face looking so full of anger as he slipped into his dominant role. (Did anyone else flinch away and have to rationalize that maybe this was a flashback to how he may have been with Mrs. Robinson and a time when she encouraged him to express anger over his mother in playing the role with her?) Christian doesn’t see himself dominating out of anger with Ana. His expression should be more anticipatory of the pleasure he expects to derive from it. Also, what was that cracking sound after the first spanking? Ana never suffered any broken bones! ;)

Ana: We think the kiss was her imagining herself with him. If so, it worked, because it integrated her desire to be kissed by him–a kiss that he controlled. But, Ana was way too naïve to imagine anything with him beyond that. Her dreamy gaze as she thought of him kissing her was there, but we agreed that she acts way too naturally.

But the biggest question that remains from this video is, “Where’s the smolder?”

Where is that piece of Christian Grey—that look, the quirked eyebrow, the presence, the glaring eyes—that speaks to us without him saying a word?

That’s what the fans are looking for most out of the actor who is given this role. That’s what we hope Team Fifty strives for when creating this scene for the movie!

Producers Brunetti and De Luca Talk ’50 Shades’ with CNBC

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CNBC’s Squawk Box spoke with Dana Brunetti and Michael De Luca, co-producers of the upcoming movie adaptations of E L James’s best-selling Fifty Shades trilogy, on yesterday morning’s program.

When co-host Andrew Ross Sorkin asked the team if the erotic book would need to be R-rated, De Luca had this to say:

“That’s correct. The challenge is similar to adapting from any medium. We’re going to treat this like adapting from Ben’s [Mezrich] books or any books or adapting from a play or comic book or magazine article. Anything that’s not film, you get into a process of adaptation, and we’re just going to kind of bring the same criteria to the adaptation of this. Obviously with this, when you’re dealing with something that’s found such incredible mainstream success, you want to preserve everything that’s wonderful about it. The success of this has certainly been breathtaking, and we’re going to honor that in our quest for the perfect adaptation.”

But perhaps the most promising part of the interview came when co-host Joe Kernen asked the following:

“When I think about it, what I know about Fifty Shades of Grey is the b&d and s&m stuff, so I don’t know anything about the plot…. Can you do it in an R-rated fashion…and the plot is good enough to where you don’t have to do porn to make people want to see it?”

To which De Luca replied:

“You should definitely read the book. It’s a beautiful, earnest love story. It’s a ‘first love’ love story. A young love story. And that’s the kind of engine that drives the whole enterprise. It’s really about the arc of a relationship, and that I think will be easy to preserve and must be preserved in any compelling film adaptation.”

We keep saying that we have faith in E L James doing what’s best for her story, her characters, and her fans, especially since she fought to have a voice in the collaboration process. This interview goes a long way in confirming that our faith is not misplaced. It’s easy to see that Brunetti and De Luca “get it.” We’re confident that everyone involved is working hard to find the right screenwriter and director to breathe life into the characters we’ve all come to know and love on the written page.

To watch the video of the interview, go here.

@Dana Brunetti, @Michael De_Luca, @SquawkCNBC

Best Mid-Life Crisis Ever!

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In a recent interview conducted by William Skidelsky of “The Observer” for The Guardian‘s ‘Meet the Author’ series, Ms. James referred to the 18 months it took her to write FSoG as her mid-life crisis…her alternative to buying a sports car.

Perhaps this part of the interview is a clue as to how Ms. James wants to see the sex scenes portrayed on the big screen:

People have talked a lot about the sex, but it isn’t actually that graphic, is it?
No. I don’t use very coarse language because I don’t find that attractive – it doesn’t turn me on. I think this is an element that makes it more comfortable for women to read.
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Will Ms. James and the yet-to-be-named director strive to make sure the sex scenes are comfortable for women to watch?
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To read the entire interview, click here.
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With her book and movie deals intact, we hope Ms. James reconsiders going out and getting a flashy sports car for herself! And may we suggest it be the color red with a license plate that reads 50 Shades?