‘Fifty Shades Darker’ Has Added Even More Eye Candy To The Cast With Brant Daugherty

Fifty Shades of Grey is continuing to fill out its remaining casting spots as the hit BDSM drama promises a steamier sequel. Along with Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson returning in their roles for Fifty Shades Darker, producers have announced that Brant Daugherty will be a part of the third film in the franchise, Fifty Shades Freed.

Author E.L. James made Daugherty’s casting announcement on Twitter, offering the actor a nice welcome to the third installment.

“Welcome @brantdaugherty to #TeamFifty #FiftyShadesFreed #Sawyer,” she wrote.

Daugherty, who is known for his role in the hit television series Pretty Little Liars, was quick to respond to James’ message with his own word of appreciation.

“Thanks for the warm welcome @E_L_James! I can’t say how excited I am to bring Sawyer to life #FiftyShades,” he wrote on Twitter.

On Instagram, Daugherty confirmed his role as Luke Sawyer and added that he “can’t wait for you all to see what we have in store.”

In the books, Christian hires Luke to protect Anastasia from her unwanted suitor, Jack Hyde. According to Entertainment Weekly, Eric Johnson is set to play the role of Jack and will be joined on screen by a number of new and exciting faces in Fifty Shades Darker. This includes Bella Heathcote, who plays Leila Williams in the film, Kim Basinger, who portrays Elena Lincoln, and Arielle Kebbell as Gia Matteo.

Jack will be introduced as Ana’s new employer who also has a competing past with Christian. Problems quickly arise after Jack takes a liking to Ana and pursues her despite her lack of interest. Elena is Christian’s current business partner who was the first to introduced him to BDSM, while Leila is Christian’s former submissive partner who has become obsessed with her billionaire ex.

Taken together, these characters are expected to make the movie more of an erotic thriller than a love story, which should go a long way in attracting an audience.

At the same time, Melty is reporting that both Fay Masterson and Robinne Lee have also joined Fifty Shades Darker. Producers have yet to reveal their respective roles. Masterson is still a part of TNT’s The Last Ship, while Lee has been involved in a number of hit movies over the years, including Seven Pounds and Hitch.

With so many well known and attractive cast members set to join the franchise in the second and third movies, fans are definitely in for a more erotic experience this time around. Hopefully, this translates to another success in the box office as the franchise attempts to build off the success of the first film.

Meanwhile, in addition to the exciting casting news, production for Fifty Shades Darker has officially started. In celebration of the start of filming, which suffered multiple delays in the past few months, James took to Instagram and shared a photo of the first day on set, complete with a clapperboard.

“Day one #FSD Good luck to all the cast and crew,” she wrote alongside the image.

Fifty Shades of Grey and Fifty Shades Freed are expected to be filmed back-to-back with director James Foley at the helm. James’ husband will serve as one of the scriptwriters, while the author herself is acting as one of the producers.

This marks Foley’s first time directing in the Fifty Shades of Grey world. Sam Taylor-Johnson directed the first film in the franchise but decided to leave after disputes behind the scenes with James.

Fifty Shades Darker is scheduled for a premiere on February 10, 2017, while the third film in the franchise, Fifty Shades Freed, will be released a year later in 2018.

Tell us! Do you think Brant Daughtery is a good addition to Fifty Shades Darker? Let us know in the comments below.

[Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images]