The steamy Dakota Johnson erotic thriller 50 Shades of Grey—which was shredded by critics—will soon stream on Netflix.
Based on the first of author E.L. James’ best-selling 50 Shades book trilogy, 50 Shades of Grey was released in theaters on February 11, 2015—arriving in time for the Valentine’s Day movie crowd. The movie was followed by the sequels 50 Shades Darker in 2017 and Fifty Shades Free in 2018.
As of 2023, per Variety, James’ book trilogy sold more than 165 million copies combined worldwide. But while readers devoured the 50 Shades of Grey books, critics and fans regurgitated the movies based on the global literary sensation.
Debuting on Netflix on Tuesday, 50 Shades of Grey stars Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey, a billionaire businessman who introduces a 21-year-old college senior, Anastasia Steele (Johnson), to his lurid world of sadomasochism.
Fifty Shades of Grey arrives on streamer this week as one of the 1o worst-reviewed movies on Netflix in June.
Rotten Tomatoes critics gave Fifty Shades of Grey a 25% “rotten” rating based on 280 reviews, while viewers gave the movie a 41% “rotten” Audience Score based on 50,000-plus ratings.
Despite the critical hate, 50 Shades of Grey went on to become a blockbuster at the worldwide box office—earning $166.1 million domestically and $406.6 million internationally for a global tally of $570.7 million, according to The Numbers.
The movie, the box office tracker added, had a $40 million production budget before prints and advertising costs.
The Popularity Of The Film Trilogy Leveled Off After ‘50 Shades Of Grey’
While 50 Shades of Grey defied critics with a massive haul at the worldwide box office, the film’s two sequels didn’t fare quite as well.
The first sequel—Fifty Shades Darker—earned $114.4 million domestically and $266.3 million overseas for a worldwide take of $381.3 million against a $55 million budget before P&A.
The final film in the trilogy—Fifty Shades Freed—made $100.4 in North American ticket sales and $271.5 million internationally for a $371.9 million global tally against a $55 million budget before P&A.
Both Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed were splattered with “rotten” 11% ratings from Rotten Tomatoes critics.
The RT Audience Score for Fifty Shades Darker came in at a “rotten” 48 percent based on 25,000-plus ratings, while 50 Shades Freed earned a franchise-low 38% “rotten” Audience Score based on 5,000-plus ratings.
Only 50 Shades of Grey is debuting on Netflix on Tuesday. Neither 50 Shades Darker nor 50 Shades Freed are available on any subscription streaming services but can be rented on video on demand on several digital platforms for $3.99 each.
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