Fifty Shades Books and Movies in Order
The original Fifty Shades trilogy is Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. E. L. James later retold the story in three more books from Christian Grey's point of view. Three films, released between 2015 and 2018, follow the original trilogy.
Read the original trilogy first. The retellings repeat the same plot.
| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| Fifty Shades of Grey | 2011 |
| Fifty Shades Darker | 2012 |
| Fifty Shades Freed | 2012 |
| Grey (as told by Christian) | 2015 |
| Darker (as told by Christian) | 2017 |
| Freed (as told by Christian) | 2021 |
What is the order of the original books?
1. Fifty Shades of Grey (2011). 2. Fifty Shades Darker (2012). 3. Fifty Shades Freed (2012). The three were also collected in a single omnibus edition, the Fifty Shades Trilogy, in 2014.
↑ Back to the topWhat are the Grey books?
The second trilogy tells the same story from Christian's point of view. Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian came out in June 2015, Darker: Fifty Shades Darker as Told by Christian on 28 November 2017, and Freed: Fifty Shades Freed as Told by Christian on 1 June 2021.
They contain the same plot lines, with extra scenes and his inner thoughts.
↑ Back to the topWhat order are the movies in?
Fifty Shades of Grey was released on 13 February 2015, Fifty Shades Darker on 10 February 2017 and Fifty Shades Freed on 9 February 2018. Sam Taylor-Johnson directed the first film and James Foley directed the second and third. Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson star in all three.
Each film adapts one book of the original trilogy. None adapts the Christian-point-of-view books.
↑ Back to the topIn what order should I read them?
Begin with Fifty Shades of Grey and continue in publication order. If you want Christian's side, read the Grey books after you have finished the trilogy, because they repeat events and reveal what he was thinking.
↑ Back to the topMore about Fifty Shades of Grey
This guide covers the novels. It contains adult themes, and the films differ from the books in places.