The official release date of "Fifty Shades Darker" in the United States may be pushed back due to some casting issues. The film was originally slated for release in 2016.
According to Movie Pilot, another reason why "Fifty Shades Darker" has been pushed back is because until now, Universal Pictures has not yet found their new director. A few months back, "Fifty Shades of Grey" director Sam Taylor-Johnson confirmed she will no longer return to direct the two upcoming sequels.
Meanwhile, according to KPopStarz, the complete cast of "Fifty Shades Darker" has not yet been confirmed. As of late, some names being linked to the franchise include supermodel Cara Delevingne and actors Charlize Theron and Henry Cavill.
Multiple publications previously hinted that Delevingne could play the role of Christian Grey's (Jamie Dornan) former submissive Leila Williams. Theron was rumored to play the role of Mrs. Robinson or Christian's former BDSM mentor. Cavill, on the other hand, was rumored to play the role of Christian's nemesis Jack Hyde.
In other news, there are rumors that "Fifty Shades Darker" will be created to have raunchier sex scenes. Universal Pictures is reportedly aspiring to receive an R-rating, but the film creators are also considering to include explicit scenes that are crucial to the story.
With or without raunchier sex scenes, "Fifty Shades Darker" is likely to have another box-office success for the film franchise. "Fifty Shades of Grey" reportedly grossed 500 million worldwide even though some scenes were blocked from being shown for the big screen.