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Universal Pictures secure ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ rights

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By John Glenday, Reporter

July 11, 2012 | 1 min read

Universal Pictures have snapped up the rights to the E.L James erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey, a fictional account of the adult relationship between 27 year old billionaire Christian Grey and college student Anastasia Steele.

Produced by Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti, the team behind the Social Network, will face the tricky task of tastefully bringing scenes of bondage and S&M to the big screen.

The novel, and its two sequels, has racked up sales of 31m copies between them in both e-book and print form, accelerating them past the Harry Potter series to become the fastest selling paperbacks of all time.

Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter Universal co-chairman Donna Langley said: “At its core, Fifty Shades of Grey is a complex love story."

"It requires a delicate and sophisticated hand to bring it to the big screen. Mike and Dana’s credits more than exemplify what we need in creative partners."

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