Universal and Focus Features continue to scramble to find someone to replace Charlie Hunnam in Fifty Shades of Grey; someone the ladies will swoon over when his shirt comes off. Which it probably will quite often. The latest guy names apparently in the mix to play hunky slabs of man meat are Tony-nominated actor Billy Magnusson and Australian thesp Luke Bracey.
Magnusson is a star on the rise after earning a Tony nom for Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, and he recently scored a role in Disney's musical Into the Woods. He's apparently testing for the Grey part along with apparent frontrunner Jamie Dornan (The Fall). Bracey has the distinction of replacing Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cobra Commander in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, and will appear in the spy thriller November Man opposite Pierce Brosnan.
So add these two onto the growing list that includes Alexander Skarsgard, Theo James, Scott Eastwood, Christian Cooke, and Francois Arnaud. A decision should come shortly as filming is to begin next month. [TheWrap]
