The
Divergent film franchise is deviating from its expected course. Instead of concluding with a fourth theatrical release,
The Divergent Series: Ascendant, studio Lionsgate is now looking to complete the story arc with a television movie, which would also lay the groundwork for a potential spin-off series set in the same dystopian future.
Based on a trilogy of young-adult novels by Veronica Roth,
The Divergent Series is set in a post-apocalyptic society where people are divided into factions based on their personality types. Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ansel Elgort starred in the first three films —
Divergent,
Insurgent, and
Allegiant — but it is not yet known whether they would return for the TV finale.
While 2014’s
Divergent and 2015’s
Insurgentwere solid box office performers, the series never reached the heights of Summit and Lionsgate’s blockbuster
Twilight and
Hunger Games franchises, and last year’s
Allegiant was a
critical and
commercial dud.
Ascendant had been scheduled to hit theaters June 9, 2017, with Lee Toland Krieger (
Age of Adaline) directing.
Lionsgate declined to comment.
The
Divergent news was
first reported by
Variety.