With the premiere of the long-awaited adaptation of E.L. James’s 50 Shades of Grey set for this upcoming weekend, fans are hungry for more details about the much-hyped film. While the cast and crew of the highly anticipated film have kept busy sharing teasers and snippets of information, the most recent development regarding the film has been the involvement of one of its biggest stars, Kristen Stewart. The Canadian actress has been seen leaving the set of her new film, Eclipse, which premieres in theaters today, to film a PSA for MTV, in support of the Fifty Shades campaign. Additionally, the film’s directors have revealed some key plot details about the highly anticipated film. Finally, recent reports suggest that Pattinson may have had a role to play in the film, as well.
Eclipse: A Timeless Classic
Set in New York City, Eclipse follows the story of a young woman whose passion for designer clothes leads her to leave her comfortable lifestyle and enter the world of modeling. The film was directed by Lars Von Trier and stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Naomi Watts. Starring as the young woman trying to make it in a man’s world are Elle MacLeman and Joan Collins. Watts, MacLeman, and Collins will hopefully bring some much-needed recognition to the feature as well as a wider audience, which is certainly something that von Trier and co-screenwriter, Eric von Sydow, were aiming for. While the film might not be breaking any new ground, it is definitely a timeless classic that will stay with viewers for a long time.
A Change Of Pace
While most people will likely gravitate toward the more traditional storytelling of Twilight or Snow White, those who enjoy a bit of an adventure in their films should definitely check out these first two projects from Summit. There is a marked difference in the way these films approach their source material. For one thing, there is a significant amount of character development in both projects, which is something that is often lacking in live-action adaptations of children’s books. Additionally, the source material behind the adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey is far more adult oriented than that of the Twilight films. Thus, while most people might assume that this adaptation would be raunchy, much of it actually focuses on the more traditional story of a woman scorned.
No Room For Naïveté
In Twilight, the filmmakers aimed for a more natural, day-to-night look, which is something that is rarely achieved in real life. When it comes to the more adult-oriented adaptations of Fifty Shades, they have gone the extra mile to ensure that the costumes and sets look as realistic as possible. This likely stems from the fact that the costumes and sets for these scenes have to remain unchanged for the duration of the shoot, which is significantly longer than that of a regular feature film. It also speaks to the level of investment the filmmakers are making in this project.
A Bit Of A Gamble
If history has taught us anything, it is that films based on bestselling novels are typically not very good. When it comes to the literary adaptations, it is often a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth. This seems to be particularly true of the adaptations of Fifty Shades. The book was originally conceived of as a short story by its author, E.L. James, and was expanded upon, over the course of two years, by the pair of publishing professionals, John Moran and Andy McLeod. While the result is a feat of storytelling, it also speaks to the challenges that the filmmakers have faced in bringing this project to the big screen. With each new development, ranging from script to costume to set, the filmmakers have had to take a gamble as to whether or not this incarnation of Fifty Shades will work as a movie. Fortunately, they have stuck with it, and the result is a highly anticipated cinematic adaptation that will hopefully be enjoyed by audiences around the world.