Back to the Drawing Board for 'Fifty Shades' Casting

It took forever for the producers of "Fifty Shades of Grey" to cast the role of its male lead, Christian Grey, but just a few weeks ago, the search finally ended. Now it's back on again. Charlie Hunnam, the "Sons of Anarchy actor who took on the role that many before him had declined, has backed out of the project.

Official word from the producers says that they and Hunnam mutually agreed to part ways because Hunnam's "immersive" work schedule for "Sons of Anarchy" didn't allow him to put adequate time into the "Fifty Shades" project. According to The Hollywood Reporter, however, sources close to the actor have said that Hunnam was "overwhelmed with the attention" he got after he was cast in the role and didn't feel up to taking on "such a high-profile project."

Both explanations ring false to those reading between the lines, given that Hunnam's TV schedule was known to the producers before they hired him, and what ambitious actor shies away from "high-profile" projects?

It's likely that the kind of attention overwhelming Hunnam was the negative attention he was receiving from "Fifty Shades" fans who objected to his being cast in the role. Vocal fans signed petitions and took to social media to express their displeasure, and at a "Sons of Anarchy" premiere, he was flanked by bodyguards because of the uproar over the film.

Given those conditions, it's perhaps not surprising that Hunnam began to question whether "Fifty Shades"—which is both controversial and far from a certain hit—was worth the trouble.