Kim Basinger Has Been Cast in Fifty Shades Darker as Christian Grey's Ex

A titillating casting announcement out of the Fifty Shades of Hooooorny franchise: Kim Basinger has been cast as Elena Lincoln—the older woman who “seduced” (read: statutory raped) Christian Grey when he was 15 and introduced him to BDSM—in Fifty Shades Darker. Cool, cool, cool.

Entertainment Weekly reports:

Lincoln is a business partner and former lover of the alluring and secretive Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan). Introduced in the second book in E.L. James’ best-selling series, Lincoln sets herself up to be an antagonist for Ana Steele (Dakota Johnson).

Yep. It all sounds very healthy.

The second and third installments of the Fifty Shades of Grey series will be directed by James Foley. Sam Taylor-Johnson, who directed the first film, announced that she was splitting from the franchise last March. (She and Fifty Shades of Grey writer E.L. James did not get along during production.) James’ husband, Niall Leonard, has been brought on to pen the Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed screenplays. Looks like women’s fantasies are finally back where they belong—in the hands of men.

Perhaps the typically luminous Basinger can breathe a little life into this trussed up turd of a franchise, but don’t hold breath. Unless you get off on that kind of thing.

Contact the author at madeleine@jezebel.com.

Image via Getty.