Whether you loved it, hated it, or would rather just pretend it didn’t exist, Fifty Shades of Grey was a box office hit. Costing just $40 million to make, the movie – which starred Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele and Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey – ended up grossing $569 million worldwide earlier this year. Both of those actors will be returning.
However, someone who won’t be returning is director Sam Taylor Johnson. There are rumours that she clashed with author E.L. James during shooting (she was given a lot of creative control over the movie), and so it’s understandable why Johnson won’t return.
With scripts written for Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed by James’ husband Niall Leonard (a novelist and screenwriter in his own right), Universal are keen to find a director to take the reigns of the next instalment. As of now, James Foley (Hannibal) is the frontrunner.
Also under considerations are Rebecca Thomas (Electrick Children), Mark Pellington (Arlington Road) and Tanya Wexler (Hysteria). That’s an interest list, but given the success he’s found on shows like House of Cards and Wayward Pines, it’s easy to see why Foley has emerged as Universal’s favourite. There’s apparently a chance he’ll direct both sequels.
