Sam Taylor-Johnson Quits 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Film Franchise, Won't Be Directing the Sequel 'Fifty Shades Darker'

Samantha 'Sam' Taylor-Johnson, 48, the director of the global box office hit Fifty Shades of Grey, a big-screen adaptation of the E.L. James erotic novel of the same name, has announced she will not be returning to direct the sequel, which will be based on "Fifty Shades Darker," the second book in a trilogy.

In a statement released Wednesday to the press [via US Weekly], Taylor-Johnson wrote: "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 [Johnson] and Jamie [Dornan]. 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."

Last month, the director admitted in an interview with Porter magazine that she found it hard working with James, 52, the bestselling book author. As quoted by US Weekly, Taylor-Johnson told the fashion magazine: "It was difficult, I'm not going to lie. We definitely fought, but they were creative fights and we would resolve them. We would have proper on-set barneys, and I'm not confrontational, but it was about finding a way between the two of us, satisfying her vision of what she'd written as well as my need to visualize this person on screen, but, you know, we got there."

And got there, they did with Fifty Shades of Grey grossing $558 worldwide and $164 million domestically, and setting several records at the box office including widest R-rated opening with its 3,646-theater screening.

Aside from Taylor-Johnson, Kelly Marcel who wrote the screenplay based on the E.L. James novel will also not be back to do the sequel so Universal will now have to look for both a writer and a director to replace the two. According to Variety, James herself is very interested in adapting her book for the big-screen but that the studio is still considering it and will begin meeting with people before making a decision.