The author and agent did a similar thing when they set Fifty Shades of Grey up with a publisher.
That means this was getting the full attention from all of Universal. I’m told that one thing that swayed the bidding was this: the author and agent got the prestige track record of James Schamus’ Focus Features, backed by the guaranteed passion of Langley, who chased this one hard. In fact, there were bigger offers on the table that the author could have taken and didn’t.
All of this culminated as The Hunger Games established itself as a powerhouse book to movie franchise, and it created a perfect storm.Įverybody knew all along that James and Hoskins were going to get paid, so this was not at all about getting the biggest payday.
In essence, bidders considered the book trilogy to be the star, and were willing to pay a star salary for an adult R-rated franchise. Those numbers can be made to work because the movie can be made for around $30 million. That is big money, but the book is an undisputed grassroots e-book publishing phenomenon. They then went into radio silence all weekend while rumors of whopping bids surfaced with upfront sums like $4 million or better against first-dollar gross in the 5% neighborhood. This after the two spent a week in Hollywood meeting suitors and producers.
’50 Shades Of Grey’ Has Hollywood CarpoolingĪll the heavy hitters were into this one, talking to one another and scrambling for any kind of advantage on the weekend with the author and her agent, Valerie Hoskins. Will Steamy Novel ’50 Shades Of Grey’ Climax In 7-Figure Deal?
Clearly, the author and her agent weren’t looking to take the money and run. Universal looked at the property as an IP as opposed to simply a book. Instead, their priority was to take their time and get it right as they target this love story explored through sexual politics, aimed at women 25-65. The author and agent set approvals over things like script, director and lead cast, but they did not insist on a quick progress to production or even a guarantee that all three films would be made. I’m not hearing a specific winning bid amount, but I think if you go back to The Da Vinci Code, which sold for around $3 million or a bit higher against 3.5% of gross, this is comparable to what Universal has paid for Fifty Shades of Grey. The relationship between Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey deepens in Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. I’d heard that 10 studio chiefs sweat it out all weekend to get the rights to this book about a 21-year-old college student who starts a relationship with a late-20s wealthy and handsome entrepreneur who leads her partner into an S&M and bondage deal where she is his submissive and keeps his emotions repressed. Focus Features will market and distribute the film in partnership with Universal, whose co-chairman Donna Langley heavily pursued the book. James’ steamy novel Fifty Shades Of Grey. EXCLUSIVE: Ending the wildest book-to-movie auction in recent and distant memory, Universal Pictures and Focus Features have acquired screen rights to E.L.