Despite mostly getting a critical lashing, Fifty Shades of Grey became one of the biggest successes of last year, racking up nearly $600 million worldwide on a $40 million budget. In an attempt to quickly get the follow-ups out before all interest evaporates, they were already shot back-to-back earlier this year, and now we have the debut trailer for the first, Fifty Shades Darker.
Coming from House of Cards director James Foley, this one follows Christian (Jamie Dornan) and Anastasia (Dakota Johnson) attempting to mend a relationship. Perhaps the best aspect of the first film was the emergence of Johnson as a bonafide talent, so if a sequel doesn’t sound appealing, we’d recommend just seeking out this summer’s A Bigger Splash instead.
Check out the trailer below for the film also starring Hugh Dancy, Eric Johnson, Jennifer Ehle, Luke Grimes, Rita Ora, Victor Rasuk, Eloise Mumford, Max Martini, Bella Heathcote, Kim Basinger, and Marcia Gay Harden.
Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson return as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades Darker, the second chapter based on the worldwide bestselling “Fifty Shades” phenomenon. Expanding upon events set in motion in 2015’s blockbuster film that grossed more than $560 million globally, the new installment arrives for Valentine’s Day and invites you to slip into something a shade darker.
When a wounded Christian Grey tries to entice a cautious Ana Steele back into his life, she demands a new arrangement before she will give him another chance. As the two begin to build trust and find stability, shadowy figures from Christian’s past start to circle the couple, determined to destroy their hopes for a future together.
Also returning from Fifty Shades of Grey are Academy Award® winner Marcia Gay Harden, Jennifer Ehle, Luke Grimes, Rita Ora, Victor Rasuk, Eloise Mumford and Max Martini, who are joined for the first time by Oscar® winner Kim Basinger, Hugh Dancy, Bella Heathcote and Eric Johnson.
Fifty Shades Darker is directed by James Foley (Fear, House of Cards) and once again produced by Michael De Luca, Dana Brunetti and Marcus Viscidi, alongside E L James, the creator of the culture-spanning blockbuster series. The screenplay is by Niall Leonard, based on the book by James.
Fifty Shades Darker opens on February 10, 2017.