Sam Taylor-Johnson Won't Direct the Fifty Shades of Grey Sequel

It's official: Fifty Shades of Grey director Sam Taylor-Johnson will not direct the sequel, Fifty Shades Darker. Despite the film's success, Taylor-Johnson has dropped out amid rumors that she didn't get along with the book's author, E L James. However, there was no bad blood expressed in the statement she released, which said, "While I will not be returning to direct the sequels, I wish nothing but success to whosoever takes on the exciting challenges of films two and three. Directing Fifty Shades of Grey has been an intense and incredible journey for which I am hugely grateful. I have Universal to thank for that. I forged close and lasting relationships with the cast, producers and crew and most especially, with Dakota and Jamie." It appears that her relationships with stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan are also still intact, with Taylor-Johnson posting this cute Instagram with Dornan on the same day the news was announced. Don't worry about Dornan and Johnson following in their director's footsteps, though; the two stars are in a contract for the next two adaptations in the series.