14 DAY TRIAL // Two of the names we’ll be hearing a lot in 2015 (and probably for a few more years to come) are Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson, the two young leads in the upcoming “Fifty Shades of Grey” movie, based on the first novel of the same name from E.L. James’ best-selling trilogy.
The adult novels have proved a huge hit, and Universal is hoping to replicate some of that success with a new film franchise, which will be tamer than its source material, more focused on the love story, but hopefully just as appealing to the female public.
To promote it, Jamie and Dakota have sat down for their first joint interview since their awkward appearance on GMA on the debut of the first-ever trailer last year.
On-camera chemistry, or lack thereof
Besides the joint interview, which was “extended” with an informal Q&A (video below), Jamie and Dakota also did a gorgeous spread: they’re not exactly in character for it, but it should offer a hint of the chemistry they must share in front of the camera.
At this point, despite the pre-release hype around the project, this is what they have to convince audiences of: that they have chemistry.
Their aforementioned GMA interview and then a surprise appearance at the Golden Globes 2015 got many snickering online about how they were more awkward together than two teens on a first date, which, considering the passionate affair they’re supposed to have on-camera, isn’t a good thing.
The informal Q&A should settle that.
Red Room, turn ons and getting in shape
In the interview, Jamie and Dakota talk about their personal turn ons, what it was like to shoot scenes in the infamous Red Room and the kind of preparation each had to undergo to become the character.
On that last account, Jamie understandably had it the hardest because he had to get ripped: not bodybuilding-type of ripped, but he still had to have more muscle definition than before, so that meant spending more time at the gym.
This isn’t to say that Dakota wasn’t under pressure to tone up, though. She admits that she wanted to look her best for all those scenes in which she’s not wearing any clothes – or a minimum of them – but at the same time, she knew she couldn’t overdo it because she had to have a student’s body.
A love story with a touch of mystery and a lot of BDSM
In “Fifty Shades of Grey,” Dakota plays Anastasia, a college graduate who has to fill in for her best friend and conduct an interview with a very mysterious and rich, but also very elusive businessman. His name is Christian Grey (Dornan) and he is as handsome as he is rich.
As it turns out, he’s also of very… singular tastes, in the sense that he doesn’t “do romance.” He asks Anastasia, who also happens to be a virgin, to become his submissive but he soon realizes he’s falling in love with her.
“Fifty Shades of Grey” is directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and will be out on Valentine’s Day.
