Movies News Talk
The first film in the series, Fifty Shades Of Grey, enjoyed great commercial success. Against a little $40 million budget, the film, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, finally generated over $570 million at the global box office. James Foley helmed the next two films, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, which also made over $370 million worldwide and were met with like popularity. Among Dakota Johnson's highest grossing films still is the series.
The films all had fast releases as the finale; fifty Shades Freed came out just two years after fifty Shades Darker and just three years after Fifty Shades of Grey. With the first in the series closest to Valentine's Day released on February 13, 2015, the movies all had scheduled releases on Friday before the romance-themed event. The freshness of Fifty Shades Of Grey and its proximity to Valentine's Day probably help to explain why it performed better than its successors.
The real in-universe years in the series varies greatly even if the films are released over various years. All three of the films take place in the same year; the films were released in chronological sequence. Every film is set in 2011; the latest one, Fifty Shades Freed, opens several months following Fifty Shades of Grey in the Fifty Shades universe. The little time frame highlights the close relationship Ana and Christian share.
The movies' storyline moves so fast that it can be difficult to remember that the whole series runs inside the same year. Ana and Christian have such a whirl-around relationship and romance that it would not be logical for their characters to have any other way. Given the fanciful nature of the narrative, it makes sense for a romantic relationship like Ana and Christian's to be so fast-paced even if the speed is swift.
Originally penning the series as a kind of Twilight fan fiction about Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, E. L. James was inspired James eventually reworked the book into the Fifty Shades Trilogy as it is now known. She self-published Fifty Shades of Grey in 2011 and published the two next volumes in 2012 via publishers. Similar worldwide financial success and criticism were given to the books as to the film. Still, over the past ten years the show has sold over 35 million copies despite the bad evaluations.
Following great popularity, James declared the publication of three more Fifty Shades books, emphasizing Christian's viewpoint on his and Ana's relationship. These books were the same ones Christian had told, not a fresh narrative for the Fifty Shades universe. Grey, the first book, came out the same year as the first movie—more especially, on June 18, Christian Grey's birthday. Though it was similarly economically successful, the book drew criticism for being too much like the original series.
The books in the Fifty Shades series chronicle 2011, just like the movies do. Every book also fits the era of the movie bearing its name. The literary series emphasizes even more the fast-paced character of Ana and Christian's romance since the plot includes several sequences that had to be deleted for the movie's production. The biggest distinction between the novels and the movies, though, is that the Grey trilogy has two volumes for every movie since Christian Grey's viewpoint corresponds with the original Fifty Shades Trilogy.
Although both the later and the original trilogy would make sense on their own, the two sets interact to enhance the whole reading experience. Readers who loved the first three Fifty Shades books probably would also enjoy the later three since the following three volumes present a different viewpoint. By use of multiple internal monologues, the Grey series explores Christian Grey's sinister side more thoroughly. This was another point of contention since, even the author acknowledges, dating Christian Grey would be mentally taxing.
Many have wondered whether the Christian Grey books would follow the destiny of the Fifty Shades novels and acquire their own movies too after the Grey trilogy's success. Right now, it seems improbable. The plot is too much like the original series, notwithstanding the popularity of the novels. After all, Christian is recounting the same narrative. Apart from disclosing more about Christian Grey's persona, the show offers not much further narrative value. Consequently, it seems like Fifty Shades Freed will be the last of the fifty Shades of Grey films.
Based on the book E.L. James, Fifty Shades of Grey is the first movie in the series following innocent literature student Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson), whose life changes upon meeting the complex and troubled millionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dorman). Drawn to one another, the two begin a sexual connection whereby Steele discovers Grey's secrets and investigates her own personal needs.