Amidst the success of E.L. James's first movie "Fifty Shades of Grey," its director Sam Taylor-Johnson exited the production. This time, the official helmer for the upcoming sequel "Fifty Shades Darker" is set to be announced.
61-year old James Foley might be the one sitting on the director's chair to handle the sequel, as reported by TIME. Although negotiations are still on the way, Universal reportedly cited Foley to be the ideal director not just for the sequel, but for the movie's third installation "Fifty Shades Freed" as well.
Foley is an American film director and has been in the industry for more than three decades. He currently helms the famous TV series "House Of Cards" and has been credited as the director for highly acclaimed movies like "Glengarry Glenn Ross" and "Fear." He also directed some of Madonna's music videos during the 1980s.
Just in case Foley will not accept the offer for "Darker" and "Freed," Digital Trends noted that the movie producers still have Mark Pellington and Tanya Wexler on the list.
As for the screenplay, E.L. James's husband Niall Leonard will take responsibility after replacing Kelly Marcel, who also left the team. Producing the movie along with James are Dana Brunetti and Michael De Luca.
Notably, the sequel will focus more on the concept of the BDSM relationship between its main characters Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele. While further exploring the depths of their intimate romance, new characters are will reportedly be introduced as well. However, information regarding the full "Darker" cast is still under the wraps.
Meanwhile, according to AV Club, the production team is planning to film sequels "back to back, reinforcing Universal's commitment to A-B-C (Always Be Cropping)."
"Fifty Shades Darker" kicks off in cinemas on Feb. 10, 2017 while "Fifty Shades Freed" premieres on Feb. 9, 2018.
