Hackers leak news about Fifty Shades of Gray casting, studios rush to deny

The movie bigwigs behind the much-anticipated movie adaptation of racy bestseller Fifty Shades Of Gray have gone into overdrive to play down reports suggesting Harry Potter star Emma Watson has been cast as sexy student Anastasia Steele.

The beloved Brit has been in the mix to play author E.L. James' adventurous heroine for months, and word spread she had landed the coveted role on Friday (15Mar13) after a group of hackers, known collectively as Anonymous, managed to hack into the internal server of German studio Constantin Films, and leak several documents.

The leaked material features one letter that appears to confirm Watson is attached to star in the upcoming Focus Features film.

Constantin bosses have acknowledged their computer systems were hacked, but they are playing down the big casting news, telling The Hollywood Reporter that the stolen documents were out of date.

And a spokesman for Universal Pictures, the studio making the film with Focus Features, tells USA Today there is no truth in the Watson casting rumors, insisting, "No one has been cast yet."

However, the story has sent film gossips into a frenzy - many believe Watson is the perfect choice to play James' college student who is seduced by billionaire Christian Gray.

Meanwhile, Ian Somerhalder remains a firm fan favorite to play Gray in the film, but he's not revealing much. In a TV chat earlier this week (begs11Mar13), he said, "I can't say anything other than it's a very interesting story."