Why Are There Two Versions of Fifty Shades Freed and What’s the Difference Between Them? (2024)

We all have our guilty pleasures, and the Fifty Shades of Grey series is, for many, the definitive guilty pleasure. Generally panned by critics, each entry in the franchise has sat Rotten on the platform, with the audience reception also being largely hostile. Still, those who love the franchise have remained loyal throughout, with the addition of the most recent entry on Netflix being a welcome update for many.

Still, with Fifty Shades of Freed coming to the platform and many finding out that there are two versions of the film, many have asked what the difference between the two is. We will examine the theatrical and extended cuts, the differences, and which is better.

Fifty Shades Freed Plot and Cast

Fifty Shades Freed

R

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

*Availability in US

Release Date

January 17, 2018

Director

James Foley

Cast

Arielle Kebbel , Tyler Hoechlin , Jamie Dornan , Dakota Johnson , Max Martini , Dylan Neal

Runtime

106

Main Genre

Drama

Writers

E.L. James , Niall Leonard

The third installment in the "Fifty Shades" trilogy based on the books of E. L. James, Fifty Shades Freed, follows Anastasia "Ana" Steele and Christian Grey as they navigate the complications of their married life. The movie shows their marriage, honeymoon, and subsequent attempts at normalcy. However, Christian's controlling nature and external sources start to put pressure on both, including Ana's pregnancy and a kidnapping plot of Christian's sister Mia by Jack Hyde.

The cast for Fifty Shades Freed saw the return of many familiar faces, including Eloise Mumford as Katherine Kavanagh, Rita Ora as Mia Grey, Luke Grimes as Elliot Grey, Victor Rasuk as José Rodriguez' Marcia Gay Harden as Dr. Grace Trevelyan Grey, and Max Martini as Jason Taylor. The movie also introduced three new vital characters in Eric Johnson as Ana's former boss Jack Hyde, Arielle Kebbel as Gia Matteo, and Brant Daugherty as Sawyer. Most importantly, though, Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan reprise their roles as Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey.

While Sam Taylor-Johnson directed the original Fifty Shades of Grey, James Foley would step into the role for Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. The movie was met with scathing critical reception, currently sitting at 11% on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, the less-known entry in the movie franchise found cult success by being tied to the trilogy, even with a similarly mixed fan reception to the release.

The Difference Between the Two Versions of Fifty Shades Freed

Fifty Shades Freed has two versions: a theatrical and an extended cut. The difference between the two is evident in 26 different scenes, with some changes being the use of alternate footage. The runtime difference between the two versions is 4 minutes and 59 seconds, not a substantial amount but still noticeable for those with a keen eye. For those who like to break down and find any instance of difference, the timestamps in both versions and the time disparity are listed as follows;

As you can see, many of the edits are minor, with the 'no difference' additions changing slightly, like the shot of a specific scene, a close-up versus a framing shot. Many of the extended scenes also are just longer establishing shots, with a few adding extra action, such as the iconic dance scene where Ana and Christian Kiss have a minor fight beforehand when someone grabs Ana's hips on the dance floor.

As far as dialog, there are only two additional lines, one where Ana says "Amazing" in response to a friend, and the line "I wanted to give you the world" is extended to include the follow-up line "not diapers and vomit and s***." Unless you are specifically looking for it, you will unlikely notice any difference between the two. If you want a detailed breakdown, check out what is added or changed at each timestamp at the Movie Censorship site.

Which Version of Fifty Shades Freed Should You Watch?

The differences between the two are nominal, and you won't be missing much by checking out the theatrical version. The more condensed version is also more accessible at the moment, with Netflix carrying the theatrical version of the film on the platform. You can still see the extended cut, but you should consider picking up the DVD/Blu-ray release to get your hands on that additional content. Still, the best way to watch Fifty Shades of Freed is by streaming it on Netflix.