The long-awaited first trailer for the big-screen adaptation of 50 Shades of Grey doesn't exactly shy away from the novel's legendary steaminess. "I exercise control in all things, Miss Steele" says Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) after meeting the shy young protagonist, Anastasia (Dakota Johnson). "I don't do romance. My tastes are very singular. You wouldn't understand." When Anastasia asks him to enlighten her, we get a brief glimpse of his proclivities: ropes, riding crops, and makeshift eye masks.
This trailer gets a major assist from a new slow-burn version of Beyonce's "Crazy in Love" — but can the full movie sustain the level of heat its fans are eagerly expecting? We'll see if the 50 Shades of Grey movie has faithfully translated the book in all its X-rated glory when it arrives on Valentine's Day next year. --Scott Meslow
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.