CinemaCon: ‘Fifty Shades Darker’ set for 2017, ‘Fifty Shades Freed’ for 2018
Get ready for 100 more shades: Universal Pictures has pinned down release dates for two big-screen sequels to “Fifty Shades of Grey.”
“Fifty Shades Darker” will steam up theaters Feb. 10, 2017, and “Fifty Shades Freed” will be back for more Feb. 9, 2018, studio chief Donna Langley announced at the CinemaCon theater owners convention in Las Vegas. Like their predecessor, the two films will land around Valentine’s Day.
The announcement came a day after news that Niall Leonard, the husband of “Fifty Shades” author E.L. James, is writing the screenplay for the first sequel, which does not currently have a director.
James, who is serving as a producer on the “Fifty Shades” films and maintains a large amount of creative control over the adaptations, famously clashed with “Grey” director Sam Taylor-Johnson. Neither Taylor-Johnson nor screenwriter Kelly Marcel is returning for the sequels.
Based on the second and third installments of James’ “Fifty Shades” book trilogy, “Darker” and “Freed” are to continue the story of erotic intrigue between kinky billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) and shy college student Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson).
The first film, which opened Feb. 13, was poorly reviewed but grossed more than $568 million at the worldwide box office.
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