His turn! E L James’ husband Niall Leonard has signed on to pen Fifty Shades of Grey sequel Fifty Shades Darker, The Hollywood Reporter exclusively revealed on Wednesday, April 22.
Leonard, who has two kids with the British author, has written for British TV shows including Air Force One Is Down and Wire in the Blood. The fellow author also worked on the first S&M flick but was not credited.
“Niall is an outstanding writer in his own right, with multiple established credits, and we are lucky to have him join Team Fifty,” producer Michael De Luca told THR in a statement.
The news comes after the flick’s director Sam Taylor-Johnson announced she was quitting the franchise following drama with E L James.
“Directing Fifty Shades of Grey has been an intense and incredible journey for which I am hugely grateful,” Taylor-Johnson told Us Weekly in a statement last month. “I have Universal to thank for that. I forged close and lasting relationships with the cast, producers and crew and most especially, with Dakota [Johnson] and Jamie [Dornan]. While I will not be returning to direct the sequels, I wish nothing but success to whosoever takes on the exciting challenges of films two and three.”
Tell Us: Are you excited about Fifty Shades Darker?