Sons of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam was once cast to star in the hugely successful Fifty Shades of Grey films. He later turned down the role, but now all three films are becoming huge streaming hits.
FlixPatrol reports that the entire Fifty Shades of Grey franchise is currently dominating the streaming charts. Starz’s Top 10 Movies in the United States show Fifty Shades Darker at #4, Fifty Shades of Grey at #5 and Fifty Shades Freed trailing at #7 as of Sept. 10, 2025. Actor Jamie Dornan would eventually go on to land the role as Christian Grey in the erotic romance movies after Hunnam departed from the role. The film series, based on E.L. James’ novels, explores a BDSM relationship between a businessman (Dornan) and a recent college graduate (Dakota Johnson).
Universal had originally cast Hunnam for the role, but he later decided to drop out of the project shortly before filming began. The exact reason for his departure was said to be because of his busy schedule, but fans have often speculated that another reason saw the Sons of Anarchy actor choosing not to move forward with the Fifty Shades films. His casting, which had been announced, saw some initial backlash online.
A month before filming, Universal revealed that Hunnam withdrew from Fifty Shades of Grey in a statement that said, “The filmmakers of Fifty Shades of Grey and Charlie Hunnam have agreed to find another male lead given Hunnam’s immersive TV schedule, which is not allowing him time to adequately prepare for the role of Christian Grey.”
Even without Hunnam’s star power behind the film, Fifty Shades of Grey went on to launch a massively successful franchise that ended up earning over $1.3 billion. Debuting in 2015, Fifty Shades of Grey was commercially successful from its very first installment, which broke multiple box office records and grossed over $569 million worldwide against its $40 million budget. Despite its commercial success, the film wasn’t so beloved by critics, and it even won the Razzie Award for Worst Picture.
The ridicule of Hollywood’s critics wasn’t enough to stop Fifty Shades from becoming a cultural phenomenon. Two sequels, Fifty Shades Darker (2017) and Fifty Shades Freed (2018) shortly followed, launching to similar levels of commercial success. Both sequels also received largely negative reviews, despite grossing over $350 million each.
Charlie Hunnam’s Next Role is in Netflix’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Image via Netflix
While Hunnam may have turned down the controversial erotic thriller movies, he’s no stranger to joining projects that get the public talking. Soon he will star in the third season of Ryan Murphy’s controversial Netflix anthology series Monster, which has previously told the story of Jeffrey Dahmer and the Menendez brothers.
Hunnam will portray one of the most notorious serial killers in history, Ed Gein. A recent teaser from Netflix gave fans their first glimpse at the chilling new season. “Monster: The Ed Gein Story tells the story of how one simple man in Plainfield, Wisconsin, became history’s most singular ghoul. He revealed to the world the most horrific truth of all — that monsters aren’t born, they’re made… by us.”
The Fifty Shades of Grey movies are now streaming on Starz.
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- Release Date
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February 13, 2015
- Runtime
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125 Minutes
- Director
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Sam Taylor-Johnson
