Summary
Fifty Shadesis a popular romantic movie trilogy that is based on the eponymous novels by author E. L. James, with both series having a specific viewing order. The series follows the quick and tense relationship between English literature student, Ana Steele, played by Dakota Johnson, and billionaire entrepreneur,Christian Grey, played by Jamie Dornan.The books and subsequent movies received international commercial successdespite receiving a significant number of negative reviews and professional criticism.
The books and movies are quite similar with only a few minor differences, as E. L. James wanted full creative control while adapting the series into movies to ensure that the screen adaptations stayed true to her writing. The insistence that the movies be filmed the way she wanted eventually led to a controversy between E. L. James and Dakota Johnson, the female lead intheFifty Shadesmovies. With several books and movies in the series, it is important for prospective viewers and readers to understand the best order to approach the franchise.
Fifty Shades Of Grey Ending Explained
Fifty Shades builds up to a tense ending that raises questions about Ana and Christian’s relationship as well as whether the story is ethical.
The Fifty Shades Of Grey Movies In Release Order
The Movies Were Released Within A Few Years Of Each Other
The first movie of the series,Fifty Shades of Grey, was met with intense commercial success. The movie was directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson andeventually made over $570 million at the worldwide box office, against a mere $40 million budget. The next two movies,Fifty Shades DarkerandFifty Shades Freed, were directed by James Foley and were met with similar success, with both making over $370 million globally. The series remains amongDakota Johnson’s highest-grossing movies.
2015
2017
Fifty Shades Freed
2018
The movies all had quick releases as the finale,Fifty Shades Freed, was released only two years afterFifty ShadesDarker, and only three years after the release ofFifty Shades Of Grey. Given the series' theme of romance, the movies all had planned releases on the Friday before Valentine’s Day, with the first of the series being closest to the date as it was released on July 23, 2025. The freshness ofFifty Shades Of Grey, combined with its proximity to Valentine’s Day, likely connects to why it had a larger success than its sequels.
The Fifty Shades Of Grey Movies In Chronological Order
The Movies All Take Place In The Same Year
Despite the movies being released over the course of several years, the actual in-universe years in the series are very different. The movies were released in chronological order and all three movies take place in the same year. Each movie takes place in 2011, and the last one,Fifty Shades Freed, takes place just a few months afterFifty Shades Of Greyin theFifty Shadesuniverse. The short time period emphasizesthe intense relationship between Ana and Christian.
Late 2011
The plot of the movies happens so quickly, it can be hard to remember that the entire series takes place within the same year. In a way, Ana and Christian have such a whirlwind romance and relationship that it wouldn’t make sense for their characters to have it any other way. Despite the quick pace, it makes sense for a romantic relationship like Ana and Christian’s to be so fast-paced, especially giventhe fantastical nature of the story.
The Fifty Shades Of Grey Books In Release Order
The Book Order For Fifty Shades Is Similar To The Movie Order
E. L. James originally wrote the series as a form ofTwilightfan fiction about the mainTwilightcharacters, Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. It was only later that James rewrote the book into theFifty Shadestrilogy as it’s known today. She self-publishedFifty Shades of Greyin 2011 and released the following two books through publishers in 2012. The books received similar international commercial success and criticism to the movies. However, despite the negative reviews,the series has sold over 35 million copies over the past decade.
2011
2012
Freed: Fifty Shades Freed As Told By Christian
2021
After widespread success, James announced the release of three moreFifty Shadesnovels, with the focus being on Christian’s perspective on his and Ana’s relationship. These novels didn’t introduce a new story to theFifty Shades universe, rather they were the same books, as told by Christian. The first novel,Grey, was released the same year as the first movie, and more specifically, it was released on June 18, Christian Grey’s birthday.The book was met with criticism for being too similarto the original series, but it was also commercially successful nevertheless.
Fifty Shades Of Grey Soundtrack Guide: Every Song & When They Play
The Fifty Shades of Grey movie soundtrack includes songs made especially for the 2015 romance title, one of which was nominated for an Oscar.
The Fifty Shades Of Grey Books In Chronological Order
Multiple Books Follow The Same Time Period
Just like the movies, the books in theFifty Shadesseries take place in 2011. Each book also lines up with the time period of the movie that shares its name. The fast-paced nature of Ana and Christian’s relationship is emphasized even further in the written series, as the plot includes a few scenes that had to be cut for the creation of the movie. However, the main difference between the books and the movies is that the book series has two books for every movie due to theGreytrilogy, asthe originalFifty Shadestrilogy has a matching trilogy from Christian Grey’s perspective.
It’s likely that readers who enjoyed the first threeFifty Shadesbooks would likely enjoy the latter three as well, as the last three books offer a fresh perspective.
While both the original trilogy and the later trilogy would make sense on their own, the two sets build into each other and strengthen the overall reading experience. It’s likely that readers who enjoyed the first threeFifty Shadesbooks would likely enjoy the latter three as well, as the last three books offer a fresh perspective.TheGreyseries digs deeper into Christian Grey’s dark personalitythrough the use of several internal monologues. This was another reason for criticism, as even the author has admitted thatbeing in a relationship with Christian Greywould be mentally exhausting.
Will The Christian Grey Books Get Their Own Movies?
Commercial Success Of The Series Leads To A Disappointing Answer
After the success of theGreytrilogy, many have questioned whether the Christian Grey books will follow the fate of theFifty Shadesnovels and get their own movies too. As of writing, it seems unlikely. Even with the books' success, the story is too similar to the original series. After all, it’s the same story retold by Christian. Other than revealing more about Christian Grey’s character, the series does not add much more to the story. As a result, it seems as thoughFifty Shades Freedwill be the last of theFifty Shades of Greymovies.
Fifty Shades of Grey
Cast
Based on the book by E.L. James, Fifty Shades of Grey is the first film in the trilogy that follows naive literature student Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson), whose life changes upon meeting the complicated and tormented billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dorman). Drawn to each other, the two start a romantic relationship where Steele uncovers Grey’s secrets - and explores her own personal desires.
