14 DAY TRIAL // It took Universal Pictures longer than expected to officially confirm and announce the release dates of the sequels to “Fifty Shades of Grey,” “Fifty Shades Darker” and “Fifty Shades Freed,” respectively, but they’re done wasting time.
Minutes ago, the first photo from “Fifty Shades Darker,” which will be out in February 2017, popped up online, first on Access Hollywood and then spreading like wild fire on social media.
It shows Mr. Grey himself (Jamie Dornan), looking smoldering hot and intense in a tux and a masquerade mask, admiring his reflection in the mirror. Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson), his (vanilla) love interest, is nowhere to be seen, but considering the fact that this movie targets mainly the female demographic, that’s not surprising in the least.
The past couple of days have brought several significant developments to the “Fifty Shades” franchise, starting with the confirmation of the release dates: “Darker” drops in 2017, and “Freed” in February 2018.
We should probably be thankful that they’re not splitting the final film into 2 parts as is customary in Hollywood these days.
Moreover, a screenwriter has been hired for the second installment, in the person of Niall Leonard, author E.L. James’ husband. This will probably offer her more control over the material than she had with the first film, which is both a good and a bad thing.
Mostly, though, it’s a bad thing because we’ve seen from “Grey” just how badly scenes from the book translate to the big screen without alterations.
Christian Grey will see you again! Exclusive first look at @JamieDornan in @FiftyShades Darker http://t.co/GJ6ZOwtHUv pic.twitter.com/0nTZIsMJZa
— Access Hollywood (@accesshollywood) April 23, 2015