--- description: A Universal studio exec promised that the sequel to '50 Shades of Grey,' set for a 2017 release, will be "more of a thriller" title: The '50 Shades of Grey' Sequel Will Be a Thriller image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3791002c4dbbf341/69877f35e20a8759f5a851ac/150213_em_fiftyshades.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [movies](/tag/movies/) ## movies Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The _50 Shades of Grey_ Sequel Will Be a Thriller by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 30, 2015 11:23 AM CUT  Fifty Shades of Grey Fifty Shades of GreyChuck Zlotnick—Focus Features/courtesy Everett by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 30, 2015 11:23 AM CUT While many audiences would have described 2015’s [smash hit](http://time.com/3711265/fifty-shades-of-grey-box-office-record-weekend/ "undefined") _50 Shades of Grey_ as thrilling, a studio exec promises that the sequel will be “more of a thriller.” During [an interview](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/power-lawyers-donna-langley-fifty-792374 "undefined") Wednesday with the Hollywood _Reporter_, Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley said _50 Shades Darker_ will be “more of a thriller” than the first installment, and she also spoke about rumors of tension between author E.L. James, the studio and director [Sam Taylor-Johnson](http://time.com/3695996/fifty-shades-sam-taylor-johnson/ "undefined"). Neither Taylor-Johnson nor the screenwriter of the first film will be returning for the second; James has [enlisted her husband](http://time.com/3832277/el-james-husband-fifty-shades-movie-sequel/ "undefined"), Niall Leonard, to write the script. Filming of both films will start in Vancouver next summer. But Langley said, “For the record, the movie we ended up making is exactly the movie I wanted to make and that the studio wanted to make and that our director wanted to make.” _50 Shades Darker_ is set to be released on February 19, 2017. [_Read next: Go Behind the Scenes of TIME’s ’50 Shades of Grey’ Photo Shoot_](http://time.com/3693953/fifty-shades-of-grey-photo-shoot/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3841499/50-shades-darker-thriller/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3841499/50-shades-darker-thriller/"},"headline":"The 50 Shades of Grey Sequel Will Be a Thriller","datePublished":"2015-04-30T11:23:49.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T06:48:58.805Z","description":"'50 Shades Darker' will be released in 2017","url":"https://time.com/3841499/50-shades-darker-thriller/","keywords":["movies","50 shades of grey"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3791002c4dbbf341/69877f35e20a8759f5a851ac/150213_em_fiftyshades.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3791002c4dbbf341/69877f35e20a8759f5a851ac/150213_em_fiftyshades.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"150213_EM_FiftyShades","caption":"FIFTY SHADES OF GREY","creditText":"Chuck Zlotnick—Focus Features/courtesy Everett","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/movies/","name":"movies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3841499/50-shades-darker-thriller/","name":"The 50 Shades of Grey Sequel Will Be a Thriller"}}]}] ```