It’s a series that looks to have its next two instalment in jeopardy as director Sam Taylor Johnson is quitting, Jamie Dornan is reportedly quitting and author E.L. James is writing future scripts which could push the second film back by an entire year. But there is some cause to celebrate in the Fifty Shades of Grey camp.
The film fell to fourth in the US box office over the weekend, having been beaten out by newcomer Focus ($19 million) as well as Kingsman: The Secret Service ($11.7 million) and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water ($11.2 million), but still added an impressive $10.9 million from its fourth week in the charts. That brings its domestic total to $147 million and its worldwide total to $486 million. Another week like this, and the mummy porn flick will pass the $500 million mark with ease, becoming the first movie of 2015 to do so.
This makes Fifty Shades of Grey the biggest grossing movie of the year so far, beating Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper which earned $470 million worldwide including its 2015 foreign takings. The only other “true” 2015 release to come close is Taken 3, which is a distant second with $287.3 worldwide.
Fifty Shades of Grey is out in cinemas now and stars Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey and Dakota Johnson as Anastacia Steele. Listen to the Flickering Myth Podcast review using the player below and read our two reviews here and here.
Originally published March 2, 2015. Updated July 3, 2023.
