(The Hollywood Reporter)Good news arrived Thursday for "Fifty Shades of Grey" fans. Universal announced Thursday that the sequel to the box office blockbuster will hit theaters on Feb. 10, 2017. The third film in the series will debut Feb. 9, 2018. The news came one day after The Hollywood Reporter reported exclusively that the husband of EL James, author of the "Fifty Shades" trilogy, will write the script for the second film. Niall Leonard, who is married and has two sons with the British author, is an author himself, in addition to being a screenwriter. James, whose real name is Erika Leonard, has been credited with keeping a strong amount of creative control when it comes to Universal's adaptations of her books, the second of which is titled "Fifty Shades Darker." After clashing with James, Sam Taylor-Johnson isn't returning to direct the sequel. Stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan are negotiating for more money for the sequel after the first film, release over Valentine's Day weekend of this year, earned a massive $568.8 million worldwide. ©2015 The Hollywood Reporter. All rights reserved.
A second "Fifty Shades" film will be released in 2017, a third in 2018 . Director Sam Taylor-Johnson won't be returning .