‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’ Sequels Get New Writer And Release Dates

The Fifty Shades Of Grey sequels are not just getting a new writer, they are also getting confirmed released dates. Universal made the announcement at CinemaCon with the dates for both sequels Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed both being confirmed.

Both are going to be Valentine’s Day events, which is unsurprising considering the release date of Fifty Shades Of Grey. The first will be released on February 10, 2017, with the second coming on February 9 the year after. The dates were chosen because they were the closest to Valentine’s Day in those years. The first movie was released on February 13, 2015 and became the most popular Valentine’s Day movie of the year.

There will be some changes for the movie. Sam Taylor-Johnson has already announced that she will step down from directing the sequels, despite her success with Fifty Shades Of Grey. She and book author E.L. James reportedly had a number of disagreements, and it is just easier for the director to leave. A replacement has not yet been named.

Some reports hinted that James would have a go at penning the sequels, but The Guardian confirms that her husband will take that opportunity. Niall Leonard has already seen success in penning screenplays for many hit TV shows, including Monarch of the Glen and Wild at Heart. He is also a director in the United Kingdom. There is a lot of support for him to join the Fifty Shades team.

So far, the two main stars of the movie franchise, Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson, have confirmed that they will reprise their roles. They are reportedly looking for more money after the success of Fifty Shades Of Grey.

Much of the planning is still in the beginning phases. The screenplay still needs to be written and a director needs to be found. However, sources say that the production will start at the beginning of next year, making it easy to get the first sequel ready for the release date in 2017.

There will be some competition against Warner Brothers with the release date, according to Deadline. That weekend will also see the release of Lego Batman, which already has a number of movie fans looking forward to. The end to the trilogy in 2018 is also expected to go up against a Warner Brothers’ animated movie, which is yet untitled. There is still hope as Fifty Shades Of Grey has a big following both for the books and the movies.

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