“Fifty Shades of Grey” movie cast rumors have really heated up now that the film has a release date and now that Dakota Johnson has been named as the latest actress to be possibly cast as E.L. James' leading lady, Anastasia Steele. The “21 Jump Street” starlet doesn’t have the role in the bag just yet, but according to The Wrap, she’s a “serious contender."

Johnson is in good company, as other potential candidates up for the Ana role, according to the rumor mill, are Lily Collins, Emma Watson, Shailene Woodley, Alicia Vikander and Analeigh Tipton, the Huffington Post wrote.

“Fifty Shades” rumors have been popular ever since it was announced that the huge-selling erotic novel would be turned into a film, and especially since the flick got a release date and the buzz around the film’s actors has climbed high these past two weeks.

Devin Paisley, Chace Crawford and Charlie Hunnam were named recently as actors who could potentially be cast as Christian Grey. Former fan favorites like Ryan Gosling, Matt Bomer, Ian Somerhalder and Henry Cavill are supposedly out of the running considering James doesn’t want an A-list actor to play her beloved Grey.

Sam Taylor-Johnson's film is expected to hit theaters Aug. 1, 2014, so it would seem that there are only a matter of weeks until James and the director get together to decide who will help make their vision come to life on the big screen.

Johnson’s representative did not respond to the Huffington Post when it asked for a comment concerning the rumor. The 23-year-old beauty has also appeared in “The Social Network,” “Beastly” and “The Five-Year Engagement.”

Do you think Johnson would be the perfect fit to play Seattle college student Ana?