'Fifty Shades Of Grey' Tops $500 Million In Worldwide Box Office As Foreign Markets Exceed US

"Fifty Shades of Grey" has earned over $500 million at the global box office for Universal Studios, making the kind of money overseas that action films usually do, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In this film's case, however, the sparks that are flying aren't coming from CGI animation but rather from the film's incendiary bondage, dominance, sadism and masochism sex scenes.

Seventy percent of "Fifty Shades of Grey's" box-office haul is coming from overseas ticket sales, and this juggernaut isn't slowing down anytime soon. In addition to E.L. James' trilogy, which has been translated into 52 languages, and an enormous industry of licensed products, the film will be released next in Egypt on March 11 and in India (which doesn't yet have an opening date). It has been banned in most Middle Eastern countries and in Malaysia and Indonesia, according to THR.

"Fifty Shades" is doing well in the U.K. and Ireland, where it opened at $46.9 million, according to THR, but in Japan and South Korea, where the book wasn't popular, box office sales were anemic.

The film has barely been open a month -- it debuted, naturally, on Valentine's Day -- but rumors already surround the sequel, "Fifty Shades Darker." Many say that "Fifty Shades of Grey" director Sam Taylor-Johnson clashed with author James (who it is said wanted more sex scenes) and will most likely not direct "Fifty Shades Darker." And although there was speculation that Jamie Dornan, who portays Christian Grey in "Fifty Shades of Grey," wouldn't return in the sequel, the actor confirmed that he would participate if asked.