'50 Shades of Grey' Movie Now Hiring Writers, Including the Guy Who Wrote 'Cars'

When thinking about who should write the big-screen adaptation of an S&M-themed erotic novel, the writer of "Cars 2" isn't usually the first to come to mind. Nonetheless, he is indeed in the running to write "Fifty Shades of Grey."

Dan Fogelman, who wrote "Bolt" and "Tangled" in addition to the "Cars" series, might even be the frontrunner to take the job, considering that he is the most experienced of the four screenwriters being considered. Fogelman does seem to specialize in family films, but he also wrote "Crazy, Stupid, Love," so perhaps he can handle the assignment after all.

The other writers being considered include Veena Sud, who wrote for AMC's "The Killing," Karen Croner, who adapted "One True Thing" but doesn't have many credits since, and Kelly Marcel, who wrote for Fox's "Terra Nova."

That would make three women and one man up for the job, and one would assume that Universal might lean toward hiring a woman, considering the female protagonist and the female author who wrote her.

This does mean, though, that the chances of "American Psycho" author Bret Easton Ellis being hired for the job are slim to none, which is a bummer for Ellis, who tweeted incessantly about his excitement over the possibilities for the adaptation.