Emma Watson rules out playing Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades of Grey film 'for real'

Emma Watson has denied rumours that she will star in the upcoming adaptation of E.L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey.

The 22-year-old Harry Potter actress asked her 5.8 million Twitter followers: “Who here actually thinks I would do 50 Shades of Grey as a movie? Like really. For real. In real life.”

She later posted “?” followed by “Good. Well that’s that sorted then.”

Rumours that the star was due to play Anastasia Steele, the love interest of the book’s protagonist Christian Grey, were leaked by celebrity hackers Anonymous. The group managed to break into the database of German film studio Constantin, whose records reported to show that Watson was attached to the upcoming film.

If Watson were to star in Fifty Shades of Grey, a book better known for being “Mummy porn”, it would mark a departure from her former roles as teacher’s pet Hermoine Granger in Harry Potter and the strong-minded Sam in Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Last week it was reported that Watson has also turned down the title role in Kenneth Branagh’s Disney reworking of Cinderella.

Keira Knightley has also ruled herself out of playing Anastasia Steele. “You know, I normally don’t like to give a definite about anything [but] I can definitely say [my next film] will not be Fifty Shades of Grey,” she told MTV in December.