Universal and Focus Features have unveiled the new, full-length trailer for the sequelFifty Shades Darker. The second film in theFifty Shadestrilogy, based on the books byE.L. James, findsDakota Johnson’s Anastasia Steele dipping her toes back into the Christian Grey waters as the S&M-loving uber-hunk attempts to woo her affections once more. Complicating matters are a shadowy figure from Christian’s past and a new man in Anastasia’s life.
Aside from the shock-value “sex stuff in public places” aspect, this trailer is fairly benign and promises a far less interesting film thanFifty Shades of Grey. That movie, while working from some dreadful source material, had some promising aspects as directorSam Taylor-Johnsonattempted to cut into something deeper than a messed up relationship, but tension between Taylor-Johnson and James led to the filmmaker departing the franchise as soon as possible.
Glengarry Glen RossandHouse of CardsfilmmakerJames Foleytakes the helm ofFifty Shades Darker, which was shot at the same time as the trilogy’s concluding installment,Fifty Shades Freed. The first film was a pretty massive worldwide hit at the box office, but it’ll be interesting to see if that was due mostly to curiosity—will all of those people return for the sequel, or is this franchise now hardcore fans only?
Check out the newFifty Shades Darkertrailer below along with a new poster and images. The film also starsJamie Dornan,Eric Johnson,Jennifer Ehle,Victor Rasuk,Luke Grimes,Rita Ora,Eloise Mumford,Max Martini,Bella Heathcote,Kim Basinger, andMarcia Gay Harden.Fifty Shades Darkeropens in theaters on June 16, 2025.
Here’s the official synopsis forFifty Shades Darker:
Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson return as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades Darker, the second chapter based on the worldwide bestselling “Fifty Shades” phenomenon. Expanding upon events set in motion in 2015’s blockbuster film that grossed more than $560 million globally, the new installment arrives for Valentine’s Day and invites you to slip into something a shade darker.
When a wounded Christian Grey tries to entice a cautious Ana Steele back into his life, she demands a new arrangement before she will give him another chance. As the two begin to build trust and find stability, shadowy figures from Christian’s past start to circle the couple, determined to destroy their hopes for a future together.
