This story first appeared in the Oct. 25 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.
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Universal Pictures and Focus Features haven't yet resorted to posting a woman-seeking-man personal ad on Craigslist. But in the wake of Charlie Hunnam's abrupt departure from Fifty Shades of Grey -- after what sources say was increasing conflict with the high-profile film's creative team -- the studio is left to scramble desperately for another actor to star opposite Dakota Johnsonin the role of billionaire S&M fan Christian Grey so the project can meet a looming Nov. 1 start date.
Universal chairman Donna Langley, producers Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti, director Sam Taylor-Johnson and author EL James are said to have drafted a list of four men they want to read for the role. Although the list is being kept under NSA-level secrecy, THR.com revealed Oct. 13 that British TV starsJamie Dornan, 31, and Christian Cooke, 26, are among the targets. Both actors came close to capturing the part the first time around but lost to Hunnam because the Sons of Anarchy star is a bigger name. (True Blood's Alexander Skarsgard also is being considered.)
Dornan could be emerging as a front-runner. Born in Northern Ireland, he's a former Calvin Klein model, dated Keira Knightleyfor two years and played Sheriff Graham on the first season of ABC's Once Upon a Time. According to a source, Dornan was contacted by Langley even before Hunnam officially dropped out Oct. 12. But a Dornan confidant says no overtures had been made at press time to the actor, who stars in British series The Fall, on which he plays a killer terrorizing Belfast. The fact that Dornan's wife, actress-singer Amelia Warner, is pregnant also could complicate matters.
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