( The Hollywood Reporter ) Good news arrived Thursday for `` Fifty Shades of Grey '' fans . Universal announced Thursday that the sequel to the box office blockbuster will hit theaters on Feb. 10 , 2017 . The third film in the series will debut Feb. 9 , 2018 . The news came one day after The Hollywood Reporter reported exclusively that the husband of EL James , author of the `` Fifty Shades '' trilogy , will write the script for the second film . Niall Leonard , who is married and has two sons with the British author , is an author himself , in addition to being a screenwriter . James , whose real name is Erika Leonard , has been credited with keeping a strong amount of creative control when it comes to Universal 's adaptations of her books , the second of which is titled `` Fifty Shades Darker . '' After clashing with James , Sam Taylor-Johnson is n't returning to direct the sequel . Stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan are negotiating for more money for the sequel after the first film , release over Valentine 's Day weekend of this year , earned a massive $ 568.8 million worldwide . ©2015 The Hollywood Reporter . All rights reserved .
A second `` Fifty Shades '' film will be released in 2018 , a third in 2017 . Director Sam Taylor-Johnson wo n't be returning .