Universal's adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey was everything they could have hoped for at the box office, scoring more than $560M when all was said and done. On the other hand, the production was an utter disaster with squabbles between the stars and frequent showdowns between author E.L. James and director Sam Taylor-Johnson. Johnson couldn't wait to get out of dodge, and now the hunt is on for someone to replace her on the sequel, Fifty Shades Darker.
According to THR, the shortlist of contenders has been narrowed down to James Foley, Tanya Wexler, and Mark Pellington. Before you ask why Universal is going for such low-key choices, remember that Taylor-Johnson was no superstar filmmaker, either. Of the three it's Foley who is the frontunner and has the most distinguished career. He's best known for directing Glengarry Glen Ross and about a dozen House of Cards episodes. He hasn't directed a feature since the 2007 thriller, Perfect Stranger. Wexler directed the Maggie Gyllenhaal period comedy, Hysteria, while Pellington made a splash in 1997 with his debut feature, Going All the Way. He also directed the thriller Arlington Road and the faith-based comedy Henry Poole is Here.
Fifty Shades Darker opens February 10th 2017 and will be written by the author's husband, Niall Leonard
