It's been two years since the publishing phenomenon that was EL James' Fifty Shades of Grey hit the big screen.
And now the sequel, Fifty Shades Darker, is coming just in time for Valentine's Day. The distributor isn't screening the film for the press, so critics and audiences will watch it together. Meanwhile, there have been a variety of colourful clashes to whet our appetites. This week, a coalition of feminists, women's shelters and anti-pornography groups in the U.S., Canada and Australia launched a boycott, claiming that the new film glamorises violence and oppression against women.
Dakota Johnson at the premiere of Fifty Shades Darker
And on the other side, the film's producer Dana Brunetti took a jab at the Producers Guild for initially refusing to allow him to use his credentials in the movie's credits, which he blamed on elitism due to the sexual theme.
Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan are reprising their roles as Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey both in Fifty Shades Darker and next year's finale Fifty Shades Freed. The two films were shot back-to-back last year, and also include returning side roles for Marcia Gay Harden, Jennifer Ehle, Rita Ora and Luke Grimes. New cast members include Kim Basinger and Bella Heathcote as Christian's exes.
Now 27, Johnson says she included a tribute to her mother Melanie Griffith in the new movie, even though Griffith has said she'd rather not watch it, for obvious reasons. "Maybe she'll see this one specific little clip," Johnson laughs. "There is a moment, a little surprise moment especially for my mom in this movie. And I think her fans will spot it too."
The actress admits that she knew nothing about the world of bondage, dominatce or sadomasochism before making the first film. "When we started on Fifty Shades, BDSM wasn't a world I was privvy to at all," she says. "There are things that are grimy, then there are chic toys. Whole aspects of the BDSM world are truly beautiful."
Dornan was also new to this world. "It was like nothing I'd experienced before," he laughs. "I'd never seen any form of S&M before this, I had no interest in that world. It doesn't float my boat. I've always been open-minded and liberal, so I'd never judge anyone's sexual preference. Whatever gets people off is entirely up to them!"
That said, both are planning to do something very different in their next projects. "It's not that it has put me off entirely," Johnson says, "but I'm ready to do other stuff."
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