Fifty Shades of Grey movie: Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson fail to impress Rupert Murdoch

The News Corp CEO tweeted a mocking message about the film's audience

Rupert Murdoch is decidedly unimpressed with Fifty Shades of Grey (Universal/Getty Images)

Rupert Murdoch may be a fan of silk ties, but not the way Jamie Dornan uses them in Fifty Shades of Grey it would seem.

The media mogul tweeted about the BDSM-themed blockbuster over the weekend, mocking it for filling cinemas with “middle-aged women’s groups” only to have them leave “disappointed”.

Whether or not Murdoch's distaste has anything to do with his company Twentieth Century Fox losing the Fifty Shades film rights bidding war to Universal Pictures and Focus Features remains unknown.

Sam Taylor Johnson’s movie adaptation of EL James’ “mummy porn” novel has broken box office records worldwide, but reviews of the chemistry between lead stars Dornan and Dakota Johnson have been mixed, with some critics claiming they lack “sizzle”.

Dornan plays kinky billionaire Christian Grey in the film, alongside Johnson as infatuated student Anastasia Steele. Marcia Gay Harden, Jennifer Ehle, Eloise Mumford and (briefly) Rita Ora also feature.

Two sequels, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, are expected to be made but are yet to be greenlit by Universal.

No doubt the opening figures for Fifty Shades of Grey will spur studio bosses into action, however, after the movie grossed a massive $239.7 million worldwide over Valentine’s Day weekend.

In the UK, Fifty Shades broke the record for the biggest debut of an 18-rated film ever after taking £4.6 million on Friday night alone.