Fifty Shades of Grey author E.L. James announced on Monday that she would be releasing a new version of the fan-favorite series, but this time from Christian Grey’s point of view.
Fans won’t have to wait very long for the release of the upcoming novel. Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian will be published on June 18th – Grey’s birthday.
The best selling author announced the news on social media, releasing the cover image of the new book. According to a press release, the opening page of Grey reads: “This book is dedicated to those readers who asked… and asked… and asked… and asked for this.”
“Christian is a complex character, and readers have always been fascinated by his desires and motivations and his troubled past,” said James in a press release. “Also, as anyone who has ever been in a relationship knows, there are two sides to every story. It’s been a great pleasure to return to my happy place — writing, being with Christian and Ana in their universe, and working with the fantastic team at Vintage.”
Vintage Books will publish Grey in paperback and as an eBook. Anne Messitte, Vintage Publisher and James’ editor, said: “Fifty Shades of Grey is a love story that has enthralled readers in a way that few books have.”
She continued, “When Erika mentioned to me that she wanted to explore Christian’s viewpoint and re-open the story, I was incredibly excited for her and for her readers. This book has all the compelling attributes of its predecessors, and I can’t wait for Fifty Shades fans to experience the work again from a perspective they have long desired.”
The Fifty Shades trilogy — Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed — were all told from protagonist Anastasia Steele’s point of view. The series is one of the most successful publications in history, selling 125 million copies worldwide.
Released back in 2011, Fifty Shades of Grey was adapted into a film earlier this year, and starred Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson as the main characters. The erotic drama was a box office hit, opening to a record $85.2 million in February, and accumulating $569.7 million worldwide.
The sequel, Fifty Shades Darker, which currently is director-less after Sam Taylor-Johnson’s departure from the saga, will bring back Dornan and Johnson when it hits theaters on February 10th, 2017.
