Though it’s hard not to feel like the iron has substantially cooled on the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon after E.L. James’ trilogy of erotic thrillers offered the publishing industry a temporary (and sexy) stay of execution, Fifty Shades of Grey broke far too many February box office records for the subsequent film trilogy to not be seen through. And so in that spirit, the first full-length trailer for Fifty Shades Darker has arrived.
The sequel retains Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, who are still named like porn stars and still performing the torrid dance of “will they or won’t they, except they already have a couple times, they’ve even sensually negotiated a sex contract, but he’s a creep, but she’s into it enough that yeah we’re still doing this.” After the first film’s climactic sequence of Anastasia leaving Christian and getting in an elevator (this isn’t a joke, that’s the actual ending of the film), Fifty Shades Darker will follow the couple as “…a wounded Christian tries to entice a cautious Ana back into his life, [and] she demands a new arrangement before she will give him another chance. As the two begin to build trust and find stability, shadowy figures from Christian’s past start to circle the couple, determined to destroy their hopes for a future together.”
The first trailer takes a substantially bolder approach, pushing the boundaries of the green-band trailer as public foreplay, something involving oil, lustily open mouths, and possibly an Eyes Wide Shut party all make appearances over a different “Crazy in Love” cover, with Miguel stepping in to cover Beyonce’s smoky rendition from the first outing. James Foley will take over the directorial reins from Sam Taylor-Johnson this time around, and Fifty Shades Darker will seek to make moviegoers uncomfortably shuffle and adjust their posture while surrounded by strangers on February 10th.
Also, John Wick: Chapter 2 drops the same day. We’re not suggesting anything about where your money might be best spent this Valentine’s Day, we’re just making sure you have all the necessary facts to make informed decisions.
