For fans of Fifty Shades of Grey, Christian Grey’s love for Anastasia Steele is the burning heart of the trilogy. But what if we told you that, at one point during the production of the first film, that love was never meant to happen?
Behind the polished final cut, there was an early screenplay draft — buried and long forgotten by most — where Christian Grey wasn’t romantically vulnerable at all. Instead, he was meant to stay emotionally detached, controlling, and dark throughout. The twist? Anastasia was to fall for him, but he would never truly reciprocate. Their romance, as we know it, was nearly rewritten into a cold psychological tale of obsession without redemption.
According to one insider who worked with the early writing team, studio executives were divided. Some felt the character of Christian Grey should remain the “untouchable alpha” — incapable of being softened by love. “There were real discussions about whether Christian ever really loved her,” the insider revealed. “Some believed that making him change cheapened the character.”
But when test audiences were shown early scenes with this colder version of Christian, the response was overwhelmingly negative. Viewers didn’t just dislike him — they felt disturbed. Anastasia’s emotional vulnerability, paired with his cold detachment, made audiences uncomfortable rather than intrigued. The chemistry was gone.
That’s when the rewrite began.
E.L. James, the author of the novels and a close overseer of the film adaptation, reportedly stepped in with a firm hand. “He has to love her,” she argued, “because it’s not about the sex — it’s about his transformation.” She fought hard to bring back the vulnerability, the glimmers of warmth that made Christian Grey not just an enigma, but a man struggling to heal.
Reshoots were ordered. Scenes were added. Dialogue was softened. Even Christian’s body language in several pivotal moments — such as when he tells Ana “You’re changing me” — was restructured to reflect that inner emotional conflict.
Jamie Dornan, who portrayed Christian, later admitted in an off-the-cuff interview that he struggled with the original script’s version of the character. “There was a draft where Christian was just… ice,” he said. “And I remember thinking, ‘How is anyone going to root for this guy?’” He claimed the rewrite allowed him to bring subtlety and inner war to the role — something he personally connected with more deeply.
Interestingly, some early DVD commentary hints at these abandoned ideas. In one deleted scene never made public, Christian reportedly whispers to Ana while she’s asleep: “I wish I could love you.” A haunting line that never made the final cut — because, in the end, he could.
Looking back, it’s almost impossible to imagine Fifty Shades without the complicated, addictive pull of Christian’s growing affection. The idea that it was nearly stripped away is chilling.
Would the story still have worked if he had stayed cold, emotionally unreachable? Would Ana’s journey have resonated with the same power? Or would it have collapsed under the weight of one-sided intimacy?
We’ll never know for sure. But one thing is clear: Fifty Shades of Grey as we know it — passionate, conflicted, and, ultimately, redemptive — was saved by that crucial decision to let Christian fall in love.
And somewhere, in a vault or hard drive, that alternate version of Christian Grey still lingers — untouched, unseen, and forever unloved.
