I’ve seen some really daring movies lately, even ones that made me, a pretty open-minded viewer, a little shocked! Films like Nymphomaniac and The Handmaiden definitely weren’t afraid to push things, but honestly, nothing has gotten as much buzz as the series that started as Twilight fan fiction. And now, eight years after the last movie came out, the whole trilogy is coming to Peacock next month – I can’t believe it!
It’s no secret we’re discussing the Fifty Shades trilogy, especially if the mention of Twilight was a clue. The films are based on E.L. James’ novels, which actually began as fan fiction about Bella and Edward before being transformed into the story of Ana and Christian Grey. The first movie, Fifty Shades of Grey, came out in 2015 and was an instant success, topping the box office charts and earning $85.1 million in its opening weekend. By the end of its run in theaters, the film had grossed an impressive $569 million worldwide – a significant return on its $40 million production cost.
Following the financial success of the first film, a sequel was pretty much a given. Thus, two years later, Fifty Shades Darker came along to once more enthrall audiences to the tune of $381 million. In 2018, the final film in the trilogy, Fifty Shades Freed, once again took top spot at the box office in its opening weekend, despite being the least profitable in the franchise. To be fair, it opened alongside Peter Rabbit and Clint Eastwood’s The 15:17 to Paris, so it’s not like it had a lot of competition. The synopsis for the Fifty Shades trilogy reads:
The Fifty Shades of Grey movies tell the story of Anastasia Steele, a recent college graduate, and her complicated relationship with Christian Grey, a rich and mysterious man with unusual desires. Throughout the three films, Anastasia learns about love and trust, while Christian deals with his troubled history.
The ‘Fifty Shades’ Trilogy Succeeded Despite Being Panned by Critics & Moviegoers
Universal Pictures
Critics overwhelmingly disliked the Fifty Shades movies. They struggled to find anything positive about them, which is reflected in their very low Rotten Tomatoes scores: 25% for the first film, and only 11% for the sequels. Interestingly, general audiences weren’t much more impressed, giving the films scores of 41%, 48%, and 38%.
Even though the Fifty Shades movies received poor reviews, the series was a massive financial success, earning over $1 billion globally. Clearly, E.L. James’s dedicated fanbase enthusiastically supported the films and were eager to see the characters and more explicit moments from the books brought to the screen.
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Love them or hate them, the Fifty Shades movies were a major pop culture phenomenon of the 2010s. If you haven’t seen them yet, or want to revisit the series, all three films will be available to stream on Peacock starting February 1st.
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2026-01-27 03:39