With 50 shades of Grey gaining in popularity and discussion that it will be adapted into a movie, Variety is reporting that the search for a producer is on, with Nina Jacobson making the shortlist!
According to Variety :
As “Fifty Shades of Grey” author E.L. James and lit agent Val Hoskins spend the week in town to discuss a feature adaptation of the bestselling erotic novel with high-level execs at Universal Pictures and Focus Features, the search for producers has narrowed significantly, with a decision expected soon.
James and Hoskins have already met with dozens of producers, some based on the Universal lot, others off, though all are being asked to commit to the project full-time. Production companies were quick to trot out female producers in an effort to entice James, though sources say the producer, and furthermore the director, won’t necessarily be female just because women comprise the majority of the book’s fan base.
Sources tell Variety that the studios have focused their search on a shortlist that now includes (in alphabetical order): Michael De Luca; Ron Howard and Brian Grazer of Imagine Entertainment; Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson of Color Force; Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher of Double Feature Films; and Scott Stuber of Bluegrass Films. Other names are believed to still be in the mix.
On the Frontrunners :
The frontrunners appear to be Jacobson and the Double Feature duo of Shamberg and Sher. That latter are producers of equal status who bring both sexes’ perspective to the material; they also have experience handling edgy fare as exec producers of Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” (duo are currently producing “Django Unchained”). Shamberg and Sher also have a long history of producing pics with strong female characters, such as Jennifer Lopez in “Out of Sight,” Julia Roberts in “Erin Brockovich” and Uma Thurman in “Kill Bill.”
– Jacobson may be the best positioned for the job, but the success she had with “The Hunger Games” may put her at a disadvantage, since the studio is looking to a hire a producer who can focus full-time on “Fifty Shades of Grey,” and Jacobson will undoubtedly have her hands full with the “Hunger Games” sequels.
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