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Kim Hollis: I wonder if the stigma of being attached to this project won't hurt both of them to some degree. It's probably true that they'll have the best chance of success if they follow the Pattinson/Stewart model and focus on small-scale releases rather than hoping for involvement in big blockbusters as a lead. Neither one of them strikes me as interesting or memorable, though.

Ryan Kyle: Being the lead to a major franchise is a coup for anyone (even if it is about BDSM). Their names attached to an independent project can now get it financed, so hopefully each will make some interesting choices for career longevity. However, both of the actors are about 10 years older than unknowns Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart when they broke out with Twilight, so it will be an interesting case study to see if how their fan base grows when it won't be pre-teen girls blowing up their social media status.

David Mumpower: I see the entire situation differently from the rest of you. Dornan is a bland lead who will be widely remembered as a lousy Christian Grey. He's Brandon Routh without the dimples. Well, he may have dimples. It's hard to tell with bearded dudes. Dakota Johnson, on the other hand, is Hollywood royalty. Her mother, father *and* grandmother are all famous actors. At the age of 25, she has already anchored a television show and now frontlined a blockbuster movie that will wind up being a franchise. She's going to be a factor in this business. Dornan is more likely to be a punchline.

Kim Hollis: Kingsman: The Secret Service earned $36.2 million this weekend. What do you think of this result?

Edwin Davies: This is pretty fantastic. Even if the film hadn't opened in the shadow of Fifty Shades of Grey, which makes its ability to stand out impressive in its own right, this would still be a very good result for an R-rated movie based on not especially well known material. Chalk this one up to a sleek and fun ad campaign for what looks like a sleek and fun film (something which has been borne out by the fairly strong reviews), as well as the smart choice to cast Colin Firth in a role that played off his established persona in a way that was pretty fresh and inventive. It's going to have to work a little to recoup its budget of $81 million, which seems a little steep for the first film in a prospective franchise, but with this opening, strong word-of-mouth and what looks like a decent run overseas, it should end up as a very solid win.

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