‘Fifty Shades Darker’ Star Dakota Johnson Calls Filming The Erotic Thriller ‘Challenging,’ Reveals She Has A Body Double

Fifty Shades Darker is set to be more erotic and thrilling than its predecessor, Fifty Shades of Grey. Not only is the sequel expected to include a gripping storyline, but it will also feature more explicit scenes between the two main characters, Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) and Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson).

In speaking to the Telegraph, Johnson opened up about reprising her role as Christian’s BDSM lover. Considering the nature of the movie and the time that has already passed since the release of Fifty Shades of Grey, Johnson admitted that the sequel will be challenging.

“I’ve never revisited or resurrected a character before. We shot the first movie two years ago, so it’s going to be a challenge to get back into that,” Johnson explained. “But it’s happening and it’s going to be great. The story goes to an interesting place and it’s more of a thriller with new characters, which will be nice.”

Speaking of the change in tone, fans can expect the sequel to be drastically different than the first film. In fact, Johnson told Access Hollywood that even the sex scenes in Fifty Shades Darker are more involved and complicated this time around.

“The story is sort of like a thriller now, and it gets kind of scary… it’s awesome,” she stated. “[The sex scenes] involve a lot of specific movement, choreography, which is really interesting to me… It doesn’t ever get easy. It’s not like I’m like, ‘Let’s do this!'”

This is a welcomed change for those who thought the first movie lacked in eroticism. According to Movie News Guide, not only is Johnson up for the new challenges in reprising her role, but she is also willing to show more of herself in the highly anticipated sequel.

That being said, there is at least one part of Johnson’s body that fans will not be seeing up close. In a recent interview with Vogue, Johnson revealed that he actually has a body double for scenes that include her exposed butt because of an old tattoo.

“I went through a phase where I loved tattoos, and I loved the feeling of getting tattooed,” she admitted. “I always have to cover them for jobs, God, they’re annoying!”

Meanwhile, Just Jared is reporting that Johnson was recently sighted at an airport in Vancouver, Canada, signaling the beginning of production for Fifty Shades Darker. E.L. James, author of the Fifty Shades of Grey books, was also spotted in Vancouver. The movie is directed by James Foley and marks his first involvement in the hit franchise.

Fifty Shades Darker will center of Christian’s fight with his past demons and Ana’s struggles with her own feelings for Christian. Part of this dark past will feature the introduction of a number of new faces in the film, including the characters Jack Hyde, Leila Williams, and Elena Lincoln (Mrs. Robinson).

Jack Hyde (Eric Johnson) is Ana’s new boss and one of Christian’s oldest rivals. Hyde is set to be one of the main antagonists of the movie as he attempts to gain Ana’s love at all costs.

Mrs. Robinson (Kim Basinger) and Leila Williams (Bella Heathcoate), meanwhile, have past connections that hit a little closer to home for Christian. Leila is one of Christian’s former submissive partners, while Mrs. Robinson is the person who first introduced him to the world of BDSM. Both characters are obstacles for Christian’s desire to get back with Ana, who decided to leave him at the end of Fifty Shades of Grey.

Fifty Shades Darker is scheduled for released in February of 2017 and is followed a year later by the third film in the franchise, Fifty Shades Freed.

Tell us! Were you surprised to learn that Dakota Johnson used a body double for some parts of Fifty Shades of Grey? Are you shocked to learn that Fifty Shades Darker is a “thriller”? Let us know in the comments below.

[Image via Universal]