Will there be a "Fifty Shades of Grey" sequel? Universal Pictures wasn't confirming on Monday that it would green light a follow-up to its newly minted blockbuster, but there are 245 million very good reasons that it will.
That's how many dollars were rung up at the global box office this weekend by the adaptation of E.L. James' erotic bestseller starring Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson. And since the R-rated tale of love and sado-masochistic hijinks cost just $40 million to make, the studio can count its money as it makes up its mind on the sequel.
It shouldn't be a tough call. The two stars are under contract and it's hard to imagine director Sam Taylor-Johnson wouldn't be in, so it's pretty much a given. There are no problems with plot continuity and in fact, some critics found the film's ending abrupt and suggested it was to set up a subsequent film.
On Monday, Universal revised its domestic estimate for the record-breaking Presidents Day weekend haul of "Fifty Shades" to $94.4 million. The numbers also will likely go up overseas, where its $158 million opening weekend haul was the best ever for an R-rated movie. It was No. 1 in 55 of the 57 foreign markets in which it debuted, and 60 percent of the people who went to the movies this weekend saw "Fifty Shades," according to the studio.
"If you look at these numbers," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst at Rentrak, "you have to figure a smart move would be to make this a Valentine's weekend tradition, like candy and flowers."
Sequels with far less impressive credentials than those have received green lights, but it's hard to find films that compare with "Fifty Shades of Grey." The book trilogy on which "Fifty Shades" is based has sold more than 100 million copies in and been translated into 52 languages, giving it a unique built-in fan base for the movie. And the weekend's numbers dispel any doubts about its translation to the big screen.
