‘Vampire Diaries’ Star Ian Somerhalder To Play Jack Hyde In ‘Fifty Shades Darker’?

With the production of Fifty Shades Darker expected to start any day now, there are still a number of important roles that have yet to be cast, including that of Jack Hyde. That being said, is Ian Somerhalder being considered to play the role of the movie’s main antagonist?

According to Movie News Guide, the Vampire Diaries star may be in the running to play Hyde in the second installment of the erotic franchise. With the character set to be one of the villains of the film, Somerhalder would be a perfect fit given his talent for playing characters with a mysterious and sexy vibe.

In the books, Hyde is Anastasia Steele’s (Dakota Johnson) new supervisor who tries everything in his power to hook up with Ana. However, his actions are quick to incur Christian Grey’s (Jamie Dornan) anger as Grey attempts to get back with Ana.

While Hyde will definitely add some interesting conflict to the upcoming movie, and Ian Somerhalder would certainly be a great choice for the role, an official casting has yet to be made. Previously, Henry Cavill (Man of Steel) was thought to be set for the part. However, after teasing that he was thinking about taking the part, Cavill confirmed that he would not be included in the film.

Meanwhile, although the movie clearly has some casting gaps to fill in, a director may have finally been chosen to lead the project. According to Variety, Universal has picked James Foley to direct both Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed.

Foley is best known for his films back in the ’80s and ’90s, which include the likes of After Dark My Sweet, At Close Range, Freed, and Reckless. More recently, Foley has been the director behind the hit Netflix series House of Cards.

Although Foley has been offered the job to direct the rest of the films in the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise, he has yet to publicly state whether or not he has accepted the offer. If Foley does become the new director, then the production will likely start soon.

E.L. James, Michael De Luca, and Dana Brunetti are producing the upcoming film. At the same time, Jame’s husband, Niall Leonard, will be writing the script.

Fifty Shades Darker is set to premiere in theaters on February 27, 2016, while Fifty Shades Freed is expected to be released on February 9, 2018.

Catch Ian Somerhalder on the seventh season of The Vampire Diaries when it premieres October 8 on the CW.

[Image Courtesy: The CW]