Although such noted scribbling types as Bret Easton Ellis and this bloke chucked their hats into the ring to write the film adaptation of 50 Shades Of Grey, producers Michael De Luca, Dana Brunetti and author E.L. James have picked Kelly Marcel to crank out the script.

Marcel is a veteran of Terra Nova – though we wouldn’t expect to see any dinosaurs roaring through the new movie, even if it might add something to the plot – and has written the script for Saving Mr. Banks, which has been filming with Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson.

She beat out a short list that included the likes of Dan Fogelman, Veena Sud and Karen Croner.

“Kelly’s work demonstrates her flawless structural technique and passionate commitment to emotion, humour and depth of character, which is particularly visible in the celebrated screenplay for the upcoming Saving Mr. Banks,” De Luca said in a statement picked up by The Hollywood Reporter.

“We were all taken with the depth and passion of Kelly’s engagement with the characters and world E.L. James has created, and we knew she was the right person to augment our Fifty Shades family,” added Brunetti.

With the writer now locked in, the hunt will for a director and, of course, a leading couple to bring the S&M romance to life. If you’ve studiously avoided any mention of the book trilogy and its surrounding hype, we invite you to take a look at our thoughts on the matter...