Universal Pictures’ “Fifty Shades Darker” opened with a smash P18-M yesterday, breaking the record for the biggest 1st day gross ever for an R-18 and even an R-16 rated film.
The sequel’s opening day receipts also surpassed the original Fifty Shades of Grey’s first-day take of P15-M in 2015.
Earlier, “Fifty Shades Darker” was approved for exhibition by the Movie & Television Rating and Classification Board (MTRCB) with a rating of R-18 which means the movie is strictly for 18 years of age and above.
The film was approved in its original US version – WITHOUT cuts, blurs and blacked-out parts.
Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson return as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele in “Fifty Shades Darker,” the second chapter based on the worldwide bestselling Fifty Shades phenomenon. Expanding upon events set in motion in 2015’s blockbuster film that grossed more than $560 million globally, the new installment invites you to slip into something a shade darker.
When a wounded Christian Grey tries to entice a cautious Ana Steele back into his life, she demands a new arrangement before she will give him another chance. As the two begin to build trust and find stability, shadowy figures from Christian’s past start to circle the couple, determined to destroy their hopes for a future together.
Also returning from “Fifty Shades of Grey” are Academy Award® winner Marcia Gay Harden, Jennifer Ehle, Luke Grimes, Rita Ora, Victor Rasuk, Eloise Mumford and Max Martini, who are joined for the first time by Oscar® winner Kim Basinger, Hugh Dancy, Bella Heathcote and Eric Johnson.
“Fifty Shades Darker” is directed by James Foley (Fear, House of Cards) and once again produced by Michael De Luca, Dana Brunetti and Marcus Viscidi, alongside E L James, the creator of the culture-spanning blockbuster series. The screenplay is by Niall Leonard, based on the book by James.
Now playing across the Philippines, “Fifty Shades Darker” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.