"Fifty Shades Darker" release date has been moved following the difficulty of finding a new director for the sequel of "Fifty Shades of Grey." Consequently, it has emerged that the movie will be filmed simultaneously with the next installment "Fifty Shades Freed," according to Gossip & Gab.
The production is expected to start in January next year, although no official start date has been announced. "Fifty Shades Darker" is slated to be released on February 10, 2017, while "Fifty Shades Freed" will hit the cinemas on February 9, 2018, Gossip & Gab reported.
Variety last week reported that the front-runner for the job, James Folly, has officially been offered to direct "Fifty Shades Darker," with negotiations expected to happen shortly.
The movie is based on the second installment of the Fifty Shades trilogy written by EL James. James' husband, Niall Leonard, has written the script, while Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti are producing, said Mail Online.
Sam Taylor-Johnson, the director of the hit "Fifty Shades of Grey" which grossed $569 million worldwide when released earlier this year, announced that she was not returning to direct the next installment. Meanwhile, Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson will be returning to their role as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele.
With Johnson gone and her husband as primary script writer, EL James will probably have more control over the movies.
The simultaneous production of the two movies is reportedly due to the production company's financial concerns, according to Latin Post.
New characters will be introduced as well, most significantly the roles of James Hyde and Mrs. Robinson, the main antagonists in the story. Rumor has it that "The Vampire Diaries" star Ian Somerhalder will play as Hyde.
IMDB rating for "Fifty Shades of Grey" was 4.2/10, so it is kind of a challenge to whoever will direct the next installments of the erotic trilogy.
