'Fifty Shades' Manuscript for Christian Grey Novel Stolen, Screenwriter Slams Film

By
Universal Pictures

Fifty Shades of mystery!

A week ahead of its June 18 release (Christian Grey's birthday), a copy of E.L. James' new Fifty Shades of Grey book Grey -- which retells Fifty Shades from Christian's point of view -- has been stolen.

According to the BBC, Kent Police in England began investigating the disappearance of the manuscript earlier this week. Thieves could potentially leak the story online, or sell sections of it to the press.

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Random House was tight-lipped when confirming the investigation to ET.

"We can confirm that the Kent police are investigating the theft of a finished copy of E.L. James’ new book Grey," a rep for the publisher told ET.

Hopefully, by the book’s release next week, they'll have this investigation all tied up and oh, you see what we're doing.

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The theft comes as Fifty Shades screenwriter Kelly Marcel, continues to publicly denounce the film. In an interview on Brett Easton Ellis' podcast last week, she admitted she cannot watch the Fifty Shades movie she adapted, citing creative differences with the studio and producers.

"My heart really was broken by that process, I really mean it," she said. "I don't see it out of any kind of bitterness or anger or anything like that. I just don't feel like I can watch it without feeling some pain about how different it is to what I initially wrote."

Marcel will not be back for Fifty Shades Darker, the sequel to the original blockbuster film, which is also losing its director, Sam Taylor-Johnson. The follow-up script will be penned by E.L. James' husband, Niall Leonard.

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Get the details on Grey below!