One of the latest rumors about the "Fifty Shades of Grey" movie sequel is that it's going to have a new director in the person of James Foley.
And now, it appears Foley's involvement in "Fifty Shades Darker" has been finally confirmed by actress Dakota Johnson's candid revelation about him coming on board the franchise.
Johnson, who plays female protagonist Anastasia Steele, recently told Empire her thoughts about the upcoming movie, as well as her sentiments about the departure of director Sam Taylor-Johnson, who helmed the original flick.
"It's quite exciting," she began. "There was a moment of being afraid, because I didn't know what it was going to be like."
"I had an experience with Sam [Taylor-Johnson] and then that all went away," she continued. "Now I'm excited. I think James is a talented filmmaker. How often do you get to reconvene with the same people and have a different spin?"
When asked whether she has met the project's new director, she gave a positive answer, adding that everyone will have to wait until the film comes out to know what it's all about.
This is not the first revelation confirming Foley's appointment as director of the raunchy movie's sequel. Variety reported end of August that the job has already been formally offered to him.
"Foley was a front-runner for 'Fifty Shades Darker' and sources now tell Variety that negotiations are expected to start shortly," the publication said. "Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson are attached to reprise their roles, with author E.L. James, Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti producing. James' husband, Niall Leonard, penned the script."
The entertainment news source went on to say that the film's production will start first quarter of 2016, with the finished product set for theatrical release on February 14, 2017.
Now that the sequel finally has a director, there are less reasons for cast members - and fans - to be afraid. However, there still are a number of issues that still need to be hurdled to ensure the follow up makes it to cinemas.
"One of the problems Taylor-Johnson had was the constant clashing with Fifty Shades author E.L. James, who reportedly insisted on steering the direction of the movie," CinemaBlend pointed out. "With Niall Leonard, James' husband, on board to handle the script for 'Darker,' hopefully for everyone involved that will be less of a difficulty. And in taking the job, Foley probably knew what is in store for him, so it shouldn't be a surprise."
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