The 50 Shades of Grey movie rumor mill continues to churn just as rapidly as it did when casting buzz first ignited over a year ago.

One of the names that's continually remained in the mix as a top suitor for the role of the S&M-crazed billionaire Christian Grey is Vampire Diaries' Ian Somerhalder.

Somerhalder, 34, has reportedly "been in talks with EL James on numerous occasions for the part," according to Celeb Dirty Laundry.

To top it off, he recently did a photo shoot where he was nude in a bathtub and bed, which are supposedly being used to freshen up photographer Butch Hogan's portfolio.

While the racy pics don't appear to be associated with author E.L. James and the 50 Shades franchise, they do serve to wet the appetites of the female audience for Somerhalder due to their sexual tone.

50 Shades screenwriter Kelly Marcel, who's nearly finished penning the film script, stated that it would be adhering to the context of James' books with lots of sex and raunchiness. Producers are shooting for an NC-17 rating, according to a write-up in Style magazine. 

The film is scheduled to premiere in theaters on August 1, 2014. Be sure to keep checking back for more of the latest details on the racy flick.

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