The success of '50 Shades of Grey' by British author E.L. James has prompted the success of another 'Twilight' fan-fiction. Written by Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, under the pseudonym Christina Lauren, 'Beautiful Bastard' reworks Hobbs' fan-fic 'The Office' with an Edward Cullen/Bella Swan relationship turned into a heated love/hate work relationship.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the 'Twilight' fan-fic generated more than two million downloads before being removed by the author in 2009. Billings and Lauren have since been signed by Simon & Schuster for a two-book deal. The first book, 'Beautiful Bastard,' is set for release on February 12, 2013, while the sequel, 'Beautiful Stranger,' is scheduled for May 28, 2013.
Hobbs' original story, 'The Office,' "paved the way for Fifty Shades and a thousand other imitators. It turned fanfiction's 'porn without plot' into porn as plot, peopling Twilight's basic plot structure with sexually voracious, assertive and snarky adults," University of Utah professor Anne Jamison told the Hollywood Reporter.
The pair's upcoming novel follows the story of MBA student Chloe Mills, who is interning at a company and set to begin a successful career, and her relationship with her "exacting, blunt inconsiderate" boss Bennett Ryan.
The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the book's tag is, "An ambitious intern. A perfectionist executive. And a whole lot of name calling. Discover the story that garnered over 2 million hits in under a year."
According to its authors, 'Beautiful Bastard' remains true to its original storyline, although only about 20 percent of 'The Office' remains.
Given the success of similar fan-fic, like the bestselling series '50 Shades of Grey,' publishers have been trying to recreate its immense popularity. Other '50 Shades'-like adult erotic thrillers, such as Sylvain Reynaud's 'Gabriel's Inferno,' have earned seven-figure advances from publishers, THR reported.