'Fifty Shades of Grey' sequel films to shoot back to back

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- The forthcoming Fifty Shades of Grey sequels will shoot back to back in 2016.

Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson, who play Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, will return to star, with new director James Foley. The Glengarry Glen Ross helmer was first rumored to replace Sam Taylor-Johnson in August.

Fifty Shades of Grey is based on the E.L. James book of the same name and will be followed by adaptations of Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. The former is scheduled for release Feb. 10, 2017, while the latter is slated for Feb. 9, 2018.

The first installment opened in February and follows Christian and Ana as they establish a tentative BDSM relationship. Johnson joked about the series' erotic content in the November issue of Elle, saying, "If you can't laugh during a movie like that, you're [expletive]. Literally."

Fifty Shades of Grey premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in February and earned $570 million at the box office. Dornan is also scheduled for Anthropoid with Cillian Murphy, while Johnson will star in How to Be Single with Rebel Wilson.