50 Shades of Grey: Jamie Dornan leads list of contenders to star as Christian Grey

Irish hunk Jamie Dornan is reportedly being lined up to replace Charlie Hunnam in the Fifty Shades of Grey movie.

Dornan reportedly caught the eye of casting directors following Hunnam’s departure from the adaptation of the popular novels by EL James.

The former Calvin Klein underwear model, who has appeared in Once Upon A Time and can now be seen in BBC crime drama The Fall, is used to getting his kit off for the cameras, having posed near-naked in campaigns with Kate Moss and Eva Mendes.

The 5ft 11in model and actor has shot to the top of the list of possible new leads, although Matt Bomer, Alexander Skarsgard, Theo James and Christian Cooke are also still being considered.

Other names floating about are Cillian Murphy, Ian Somerhalder and Alex Pettyfer, while Robert Pattinson was said to be the author’s top pick from day one.

While Charlie, the Sons Of Anarchy star, pulled out of the role due to his “immersive TV schedule”, according to reports the shy actor was fearful of the amount of attention the role would bring.

“He dropped out of the project because he didn’t want to be typecast. He didn’t want the Robert Pattinson-esque attention that would come along with taking on this role,” a source tells People magazine.

A source also confirmed to E! News that Hunnam’s decision to opt out wasn’t “a surprise”, adding, “What he was taking on with this role was not what Charlie wants in his future career. The attention and the pressure was intense.”

“More than anything, he hates attention, and being in Fifty Shades Of Grey would force him to do lots of media.”