There’s excitement today for fans of umbrellas and overcoats, because the first on-set photos from 50 Shades Darker have appeared online, and Jamie Dornan’s Christian Grey is wearing one and holding the other.
More importantly, he has dispensed with his 50 Shades Of Grey ultra-clean-shaven look in favor of some stylish stubble, and no longer looks like a puppy who has just been to the vet.
Dakota Johnson’s Anastasia Steele is, of course, also in the pictures, looking much as she did last time.
This film will of course see her trying to stick to her intention to quit the Christian Grey business and finding it a little tough, as he pursues her and tries to get her back. As you can tell from the picture above, in fact, she fails utterly to stay away, and finds new challenges to their relationship.
There will also be glimmerings of an actual plot beyond the bonking this time, as Ana meets Elena (Kim Basinger), the older woman who first introduced Christian to the BDSM lifestyle.
She also goes to work for publisher Jack Hyde (Eric Johnson), who is a little too hands-on. No prizes for guessing how the possessive Christian feels about that.
After Sam Taylor-Johnson, the first film’s director, declined to return, James Foley is directing these two films, which once again also feature Rita Ora, Marcia Gay Harden and Tyler Hoechlin as a character called Boyce Fox, a name that is amusing us for some reason.
Filming for 50 Shades Darker and the third installment in the trilogy, 50 Shades Freed, is happening back-to-back and will continue until July.
50 Shades Darker will then hit screens on February 10, 2017, with the final film then following on February 9, 2018.
By Helen O’Hara
