‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’ Movie Trailer Release Date Delayed By The MPAA?

“Fifty Shades of Grey” fans may have to wait a little longer than expected to see Christian Grey and Ana Steele on the big screen. Not only do readers of the best-selling E.L. James series have to wait eight months until the film adaptation debuts in theaters, new reports indicate that the release of the film’s trailer may have been pushed back by the film industry's rating agency.

According to a report from Headlines & Global News, the first official trailer for the erotica film is rumored to make its official debut in September. If true, that would be a delay allegedly caused by the Motion Picture Association of America’s (MPAA) rules and regulations. "[The] Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) recently made some changes and is not allowing trailers to be shown more than five months before the movie is set to be released," the report said.

Despite the MPAA's blame for the trailer’s delayed premiere, it appears the association’s regulations may have been confused with the National Associates of Theatre Owners (NATO) guidelines, implemented in January 2014, which state similar rules. “A trailer cannot be shown for a movie more than five months before its release,” according to a January 27 report from the Hollywood Reporter, which added that according to NATO’s new standards, marketing materials cannot “be displayed inside of a theater for a film more than four months away from release.”

So when is the “Fifty Shades of Grey” movie trailer’s true release date? While James and Universal Pictures aren’t telling, that hasn’t stopped fans from speculating that September 17, a date exactly five months before the film’s theater debut, could be the lucky day.

The first trailer for the erotica film, starring actor Jamie Dornan as the sexually sadistic businessman Christian Grey and actress Dakota Johnson as his innocent lover, Ana Steele, was revealed at CinemaCon in Las Vegas in March. The extended teaser, described as “Twilight-esque” and "tame" despite its graphic nature, was a reported two minutes long.

This isn’t the first time the “Fifty Shades of Grey” film has faced delays. Charlie Hunnam, the original actor who signed on to play Christian Grey, backed out of the franchise in October, a move that was followed by an official release date change for the film. Originally scheduled for an August 1, 2014, debut, “Fifty Shades” is now due in theaters February 13, 2015.