Chatter over the future film adaptation of E.L. James' Fifty Shades of Grey continues to heat up the web at a rapid rate.  While several fans continue to push for Vampire Diaries' Ian Somerhalder as the next Christian Grey, there just may be a younger aged version flying right below the radar with the same first name, Ian Harding of Pretty Little Liars.

Harding, 26, is well known for playing Ezra Fitz, a former AP teacher, on the hit television series. With his good looks, piercing brown eyes and dark mane, the German actor would undeniably fit the Grey role quite well. To top it off, the part of the S&M-crazed CEO is described as a 27-year-old, which is extremely close to Harding's age.  

While speculation over Harding has been seemingly nonexistent, the easy on the eyes German actor did actually get depicted as the next Grey, courtesy of his Liars' co-star and potential Anastasia Steele contender, Lucy Hale.

Back in June, Hale had Instagrammed a picture of Harding and added the caption 50 Shades of Harding.

The sexually dominated Fifty Shades of Grey premise revolves around the powerful, rich and kinky Grey, who gets himself involved in a dominant and submissive sexual relationship with a shy college graduate named Anastasia Steele. Through an "agreement," the two delve into the kinky world of bondage and masochism.

Other fan favorites that have come up lately as possible candidates for the Grey role include Les Miserables' Eddie Redmayne, Gossip Girl's Chace Crawford and Ed Westwick, among many other notable talents.

James and her fellow producers attached to the movie continue to remain tight-lipped on how the casting process will ultimately unfold.  Focus Features and Universal Pictures had obtained the rights to the film in early 2012.

To date, James' racy novels have now sold well over 60 million copies and the film is expected to perform just as well.

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