'Fifty Shades of Grey' Movie Hires Writer

12:10 PM PDT 10/8/2012 by Borys Kit

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Kelly Marcel, Disney's "Saving Mr. Banks" writer, will adapt E.L. James' bestselling book for Focus Features and Universal.

Kelly Marcel will write the Fifty Shades of Grey movie, author E.L. James revealed Monday on Twitter.

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Michael De Luca, Dana Brunetti and James will produce the film for Focus Features and Universal Pictures.

Marcel wrote Saving Mr. Banks, the story of Walt Disney’s 20-year pursuit of the film rights to author P.L. Travers’ novel Mary Poppins and the rocky relationship that formed between the two. Mr. Banks, starring Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson and Colin Farrell, is in production at Disney.

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“Kelly’s work demonstrates her flawless structural technique and passionate commitment to emotion, humor and depth of character, which is particularly visible in the celebrated screenplay for the upcoming Saving Mr. Banks,” De Luca said.

“We were all taken with the depth and passion of Kelly’s engagement with the characters and world E.L. James has created, and we knew she was the right person to augment our Fifty Shades family,” said Brunetti.

On August 7, The Hollywood Reporter revealed a shortlist of writers considered for the project, including Marcel.

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Universal and Focus nabbed the rights to the mega-selling Fifty Shades trilogy for $5 million in March after a heated Hollywood bidding war. The books, about a torrid love affair between a college student and a mysterious billionaire, have sold tens of millions of copies worldwide.

Email: Borys.Kit@thr.com

Twitter: @Borys_Kit