Sam Taylor-Johnson: 'I wish I hadn't made Fifty Shades of Grey'

Written by . Published: June 17 2017

Fifty Shades Of Grey director Sam Taylor-Johnson has finally confirmed she and E.L. James fell out while making the movie adaptation of her book.


Tension between the pair was reported during the shoot for the 2015 hit film, starring Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson as kinky lovers, and in an explosive new interview, the British filmmaker admits she regrets putting herself through the awful ordeal.

"With the benefit of hindsight would I go through it again? Of course I wouldn't. I'd be mad," she rages in The Sunday Times.

"It was a struggle and there were lots of onset tete-a-tetes, with me trying to bat it into the right place. I like everyone - and I get really confused when they don't like me. I was so confused by E.L. James. I don't understand when I can't navigate a person, when there's no synergy."

Tensions arose because the two women had completely different visions for the big screen adaptation, which hauled in more than $570 million (GBP446 million) at the international box office.

"Her vision versus mine, they were polar opposite," Sam tells The Hollywood Reporter. "Every scene was fought over. It was tough. It was like wading uphill through sticky tar."

Sam, who is married to British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson, also admits she was surprised the success of Fifty Shades of Grey did not lead to any big Hollywood job offers.

"It was ego-denting, which may not have been a bad thing," she concedes. "At the same time, I was like, 'Oh, I still have to keep fighting for stuff'. I just thought it was going to come a lot easier."

Things are looking up for Sam now, though. She is busy directing the new Netflix show Gypsy starring Naomi Watts and Billy Crudup.