FIFTY SHADES OF GREY Stars Hint at Film Sequels; Director to Exit Franchise?

After grossing $81.7 million domestically and $239.7 million worldwide over Valentine's Day weekend, FIFTY SHADES OF GREY is perfectly poised to finish out E.L. James' book trilogy on the big screen.

The movie's stars Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson have both hinted they want to and likely will return as 'Christian Grey' and 'Anastasia Steele' in film adaptations of James's FIFTY SHADES DARKER and FIFTY SHADES FREED.

Universal hasn't officially announced the sequels, but Dornan and Johnson both said on THE TODAY SHOW on February 6 they are ready to do two more movies.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Johnson hinted that she has already signed a contract for the sequels by saying she would be "more than happy to do" them, adding, "Which is lucky, as I also have to..."

Johnson also talked about FIFTY SHADES DARKER with MTV News: "In the second book I think Ana becomes a woman, really. It's a really interesting thing to play, to figure out THE MOMENT in which a person becomes comfortable with themselves." In the same article, Dornan said the next film would show "different sides of [Christian], so I'm looking forward to exploring that if given the chance."

Whether director Sam Taylor-Johnson will return as helmer for the sequels is less certain, as she and author E.L. James butted heads throughout the process of crafting the first film.

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY is directed Taylor-Johnson and produced by Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti, alongside James, the creator of the series. The screenplay for the film is by Kelly Marcel.

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY is the hotly anticipated film adaptation of the bestselling book that has become a global phenomenon. Since its release, the "Fifty Shades" trilogy has been translated into 51 languages worldwide and sold more than 100 million copies in e-book and print-making it one of the biggest and fastest-selling book series ever.

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