Fifty Shades Darker

It’s been a couple of weeks since we heard about Universal’s short list of directors for Fifty Shades Darker, the second film in their Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. Today, it’s being reported that the studio has formally made an offer to their top pick, House of Cards and Glengarry Glen Ross director James Foley.

Fifty Shades of Grey has nearly $570 million in worldwide ticket sales, an enormous amount of anticipation for its two sequels, and an impressive collection of designer ties, whips, and riding crops. What it doesn’t have is a director for the next Fifty Shades film, Fifty Shades Darker, which is supposed to open in theaters in a year and a half, but is still searching for a filmmaker to replace Sam Taylor-Johnson. She left the franchise after not seeing eye-to-eye with Fifty Shades author E.L. James about the direction of the franchise.

Just yesterday, THR reported on a conversation with Universal executive Donna Langley, who revealed that the upcoming Fifty Shades of Grey sequel is “more of a thriller.” The first teaser, as promised, has arrived, and in keeping with the Fifty Shades Darker title, it definitely looks…darker? It’s certainly a little ominous.

Just yesterday it was reported that Fifty Shades trilogy author E.L. James has hired her husband, fellow author Niall Leonard, to write the screenplay for Fifty Shades Darker. Now that a screenwriter has been set for the first sequel (and, if things go well, possibly the next one), Universal is starting to solidify their plans for the remaining films in the franchise. The studio has announced release dates for both sequels, with stars Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson expected to return.

Oh boy. Recently, we learned that Fifty Shades of Grey director Sam Taylor-Johnson and writer Kelly Marcel would not be returning for the sequel, as Universal has given more control to E.L. James, the author of the Fifty Shades trilogy. And with that power, James has decided to hire her husband, fellow author Niall Leonard, who also has some screenwriting credits under his belt.

And so it begins. We’ve heard the stories of issues on set between Fifty Shades of Grey director Sam Taylor-Johnson and author E.L. James, making it seem unlikely that Taylor-Johnson would return to direct the sequel. Universal has now made it official: Fifty Shades Darker is in the market for a new director, as Taylor-Johnson has declined to return.

It doesn’t matter if the film’s press tour is going badly, or if stars Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson possibly have no chemistry whatsoever (or compared shooting sex scenes together to arduous, uncomfortable work). ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ is going to be an enormous hit when it opens this weekend regardless, and in this climate, enormous hits get sequels whether earned or demanded or not.