Fifty Shades Darker is a 2017 American erotic romantic drama film directed by James Foley and written by Niall Leonard, based on the novel of the same name by E. L. James. The film is a sequel to the 2015 film Fifty Shades of Grey and stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan as Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, respectively. The plot follows the couple as they begin to rekindle their relationship, but new obstacles arise, including the arrival of a former lover of Christian. The film was released on February 10, 2017, and received generally negative reviews from critics.