It's that time, Ladies and Gentlemen. The last E.L. James book, Fifty Shades Freed, has been turned into a movie and that movie hit Blu-ray and DVD this week. As part of the final home entertainment set, popular author E.L. James had a conversation with Eric Johnson about the third and final movie in the trilogy, as well as some stuff related to the books. Of course, Johnson had to ask if there was anything else coming, and E.L. James obliged. She said, in fact, that she does have an idea for a fourth book, noting as part of the Blu-ray release,
I have an idea for the fourth book, but I can't tell you anything about that without really spoiling it. So, if I ever do it, yeah, I've got the first line.
Sadly, even Eric Johnson, who plays Jack Hyde in the popular movie series, could not get a peep out of E.L. James regarding what a fourth book might be about. However, just the fact that the author is planning a fourth book could mean big things for both the literary and big screen worlds. Previously, James had stated "there's a chance" fans could see a fourth book, but the fact that she has considered it enough to have an idea and even the first line in her head is big news.
So, if you've seen Fifty Shades Freed, you already know that the movie ends on a note wrapping up the story for fans. We get to see Anastasia Steele take charge and invite Jamie into the Red Room. We also get a highlight reel of the couple's biggest moments from the other movies. Finally, we see that Ana and Christian have a young boy named Teddy, and are about to have their second child, a daughter whom they wish to call Phoebe. Things seem to be going well. However, while talking about a potential fourth book, E.L. James admits that perhaps the happy ending won't last forever for Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele. The author said,
They'll be happy for a while, absolutely, it's not interesting. Who wants to see that? You need bad guys, you need issues, you need all sorts of things, because otherwise it's a bit yawny, isn't it?
If a fourth movie does ever come together, it may have to come with new, older actors. A few months ago, series lead Jamie Dornan was asked about the prospect of future movies in the Fifty Shades franchise. He stated there were no more books, but even if there was another book, he felt he and Dakota Johnson were aging out, and "getting too old," to keep playing the roles.
If and when a fourth book happens, it seems very likely Universal would want to make another movie, but that largely would depend on timeline, budget and actor availability. Unless Ana and Christian were grey-haired and had been together many years, in which case recasting might be the right route. We'll keep you posted if another book and/ or movie happens, and in the meantime, we'll brainstorm what that first line could be. Oh, and of course, you can relive the romantic saga with Fifty Shades Freed, available on Blu-ray, here.
