11 Apr 2012 02:45:11
And while the $5 million she reportedly received for the deal certainly didn't hurt, James tells EW.com that she did it for the laughs -- specifically, those elicited by Focus president of production Jeb Brody.
"I really like clever men who challenge you," James told the website, "and with Jeb, I thought, yeah, I can work with that!"
Plus, James added, Focus Features -- responsible for such releases as "Lost in Translation" and "The Pianist" -- has "a great background in handling difficult material."
The book, which made the New York Times best-seller list, revolves around a female college student who finds herself in a kinky relationship involving sadomasochism and submission with 27-year-old billionaire Christian Grey. The book's two sequels, "Fifty Shades Darker" and "50 Shades Freed," probe into the couple's deepening relationship.
James' steamy novels -- published by Vintage Books -- recently sparked a feeding frenzy in Hollywood, with producers Brian Grazer, Adam Shankman, Scott Stuber, Doug and Lucy Wick and Stacy Cramer courting James and her agent, Valerie Hoskins.
A few laughs and a good reputation aren't the only things that convinced James to ink a deal with Universal and Focus: The authoress also told EW.com that she was granted the approvals she requested, which included script and casting approvals.
