The Fifty Shades of Grey movie casting war shows no sign of being resolved. The quest to find the right Mr. Grey is a bit like sneaking backstage at an IFBB competition--so many gorgeous men, so little time. The latest buzz is that Ian Somerhalder is still the fan favorite. In fact, according to Renier Palland at Celeb Dirty Laundry, the Vampire Diaries star has topped yet another fan poll with 2,900 votes. His fellow contenders, Matt Bomer and Henry Cavill, were left face down in the dust with a "combined total [that] did not even make up half of Somerhalder's votes." Ouch. That, opines Renier, is "a sign that the general public wants him to be Christian Grey - no matter what anyone says." True. But that doesn't necessarily mean Mr. Somerhalder will actually play Mr. Grey. Especially since 50 Shades author E. L. James is partial to Superman actor Henry Cavill for the part. Apparently, she's not that impressed by Somerhalder's "dark and sexual look" that fans consider perfect for the role. Hey, not everybody's into hot vampires.
Whatever. The real question is: Which leading man would be better for the finished product regardless of which idol commands a bigger fan base or which actor turns E. L. James on. With that caveat in mind, should Ian Somerhalder or Henry Cavill play Christian Grey? The correct answer is: neither.
As Renier so succinctly put it, the casting of Somerhalder would seem like a "cliched choice, one of the most predictable casting moments in the history of cinema." And since when do fan polls pick the casts of movies anyway? 50 Shades of Grey is not a political election. Furthermore, Somerhalder would bring with him all the Vampire Diaries baggage which might make Mr. Grey seem a tad too "other worldly." He would also seem a tad too much like Robert Pattinson. James based the Christian Grey character on Pattinson's Twilight character, the vampire Edward Cullen, and she has summarily dismissed him from consideration for the titular 50 Shades role. On the other hand, if Henry Cavill is chosen, Somerhalder's fan base's ire might cause reduced box office receipts. But then, if Cavill is rejected, Fifty Shades of Grey might suffer from something called "cinematic hype saturation--a situation where the film is so overhyped by the casting that the overall quality of it is ignored."
If all this is making you dizzy, dazed, and more confused than ever, welcome to the club. And stay tuned. This thing has to get cast even
Photo Source: Amazon
© Hope Carson 2012
Hope Carson is the author of 2 books: A Roaring Girl: An Interview with the Thinking Man's Hooker and A Thousand and One Night Stands: The Life of Jon Vincent. You can follow her on Twitter.
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