Fifty Shades Darker opened domestically with about half the total of its predecessor, and now Fifty Shades Freed has ducked under that particular bar with a $38.8 million start.
Box office numbers memorably dropped off significantly in the film’s second week (73.9 percent despite no significant competition),and the infatuation with the series died off quickly – despite the fact that Universal Pictures still had plans to release two more films.
Fifty Shades of Grey stirred up a mini-phenomenon the weekend it was released in 2015 – but I specify “weekend” because that opening was really the highest high the franchise ever reached.