Fifty Shades Darker (2017)
- Many of the practical effects used in the climax were achieved without any CGI.
- Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed a hidden easter egg referencing James Foley's previous film in the background of the opening scene.
- The incredible score for Fifty Shades Darker was composed in just a few weeks after the original composer dropped out.
Fifty Shades Darker is a 2017 American erotic romantic drama directed by James Foley, the second installment in the trilogy. Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan return as Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, who attempt to rebuild their relationship on Anastasia's terms following their breakup in the first film. Their reconciliation is complicated by threats from Christian's troubled past β including Leila, a former submissive who stalks Ana with a gun, the ghost of Christian's abusive childhood, and his former dominant Elena Lincoln played by Kim Basinger, whose manipulative influence over Christian continues to poison his ability to have a healthy relationship.
The sequel addressed criticisms of the original by giving Anastasia significantly more agency and establishing clearer boundaries within the relationship. The masked ball sequence at Christian's family estate and a helicopter crash over the Pacific Northwest provided the film's dramatic set pieces. Jamie Dornan was given more room to explore Christian's vulnerability beneath the controlling exterior.
The film earned $381 million worldwide on a $55 million budget, maintaining the franchise's commercial viability despite continued critical disdain.
