Fifty Shades Freed

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.

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.