24th December 2018 - TV Show Wrap Up No-Longer In Development
The Divergent movies — based on Veronica Roth's trilogy — were supposed to be the next blockbuster young adult franchise. Summit Entertainment bought the rights in 2011 when the studio was nearing the end of its streak with the multibillion-dollar Twilight movies. The next year, when Summit itself was bought by Lionsgate, that meant that The Hunger Games studio had bought the Twilight studio, merging the two companies that had led the YA boom. The combined studio would be betting on Divergent as its next book-to-screen success, and it seemed like a slam dunk. Lionsgate even increased Divergent's budget, from $40 million to $85 million.
That was then. Now, a spokesperson for Starz, which is owned by Lionsgate, tells BuzzFeed News that a continuation of the franchise is no longer in active development. What's more frustrating for its tens of fans, the story ended on a cliffhanger.
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8th September 2016 - Shailene Woodley ‘Not Interested’ in Allegiant TV Show
In an interview with Screen Rant while promoting her new film, Snowden, Woodley was asked whether there’s been an update on Ascendant and whether she’s on board with the final Divergent film. She said:
Last I heard they were trying to make it into a television show. I didn’t sign up to be in a television show. Out of respect to the studio and everyone in involved, they may have changed their mind and may be doing something different, but I’m not necessarily interested in doing a television show.
The actors involved in the Divergent franchise signed on for a final film that would be released in theaters, but since Lionsgate changed that plan, the actors may choose to part ways with the series. If that happens the studio would likely need to recast many of the major roles, perhaps with stars that would be up to return for the potential spinoff series. Given Woodley’s comment it seems likely she won’t return for the TV movie – though that may not be final.
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20th July 2016 - Divergent Finale to Skip Theaters, Launch as a TV Movie and Spinoff Series
Shailene Woodley starred in the first three movies, which never lived up to the their expectations as the next big YA franchise. It is unclear whether she or her co-stars Miles Teller and Ansel Elgort would return for a TV version, but a source close to Woodley wouldn't rule it out. It's worth noting that Woodley has made the leap to the small screen with HBO's upcoming limited series Big Little Lies, but that likely would be a prestige project.
Woodley has been approached to join the TV version of Ascendant, but everything at this point is to be determined, with the ultimate network being a major consideration. Lionsgate will begin shopping the project to networks in the coming days. Though Woodley has been approached, other talent that are signed on for the fourth chapter in the franchise have not received word.
“They haven’t come to us to discuss deals, but if they think they can skimp on actors options, they can think again,” said the rep of one of the co-stars.
Agents say they expect very serious negotiations for their clients. But some feel it would set a dangerous precedent if actors and actresses simply go along with a move from film to TV.
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Lionsgate is planning to wrap up the “Divergent Series” with a television movie and a spinoff series, Variety has learned.
Negotiations are in the early stages, but instead of having “The Divergent Series: Ascendant” open in theaters next year, the studio wants to wrap up the film series on the small screen, according to an individual with knowledge of the situation. That would then segue into a standalone television series set in the same post-apocalyptic world.
The first two “Divergent” films were box office hits, but the most recent chapter, “Allegiant,” stumbled when it hit theaters last spring. The fourth and final film, “Ascendant,” was originally scheduled to debut in June 2017, when it would have squared off against “World War Z 2” and a reboot of “The Mummy.” The studio initially planned to start shooting this summer in Atlanta, before “Allegiant’s” box office performance caused them to rethink that strategy.
Lionsgate’s television group will handle production. The idea is to finalize the storylines involving the current cast and to introduce a new cast, who would then continue the series on either a traditional or streaming network.
It’s not clear if stars Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ansel Elgort, and others will return for the “Ascendant” television movie. Lee Toland Krieger (“Age of Adaline”) had been tapped to direct the film.
No deals have been made, but the studio is getting ready to pitch the project to networks.
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17th December 2015 - Release Date Moved to Summer 2017
The next film in the Divergent franchise will now open on June 7, 2017, so the blockbuster can open during the summer. The franchise has grossed $586 million worldwide.
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10th September 2015 - Allegiant: Part 2 Renamed to Ascendant + Teaser Poster
Just like the factions split — and then came back together — at the end of “The Divergent Series: Insurgent,” so have the upcoming two final movies in the series. They were previously called “The Divergent Series: Allegiant — Part 1,” and “The Divergent Series: Allegiant — Part 2,” but now MTV News can exclusively reveal the final two movies in the series will have brand new names once they hit theaters.
Only with the emergence of Divergents — people like Tris, who possess multiple distinct personality qualities — could the truth be revealed. And that’s exactly where the renamed “The Divergent Series: Allegiant” (notice the lack of “Part 1″) picks up on March 18, 2016; as Tris and Four head over the wall to discover what remains of the rest of the world.
Then the next year on March 24, 2017, the whole series comes to an explosive close with “The Divergent Series: Ascendant.” Both movies will be based on Veronica Roth’s best-selling novel “Allegiant,” but will also expand on the story in ways we can only guess at (though we’re going to guess that Tris does several badass things, and Four doesn’t quite get along with his parents — mild spoilers).
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11th April 2014 - Film Split in Two Parts
SANTA MONICA, Calif. and VANCOUVER, April 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company, will produce and release Allegiant, starring Shailene Woodley and Theo James and based on the third book in Veronica Roth's best-selling Divergent trilogy, as two separate films, it was announced today by Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-Chairmen Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger. The Company will release a total of four Divergent films on its Summit Entertainment label, with the next film, Insurgent, which begins production next month, slated for release on March 20, 2015 and Allegiant -- Parts 1 & 2 scheduled for release on March 18, 2016, and March 24, 2017, respectively.
The first film in the Divergent franchise is off to a fast start, grossing $117 million at the domestic box office in its first three weeks of release, and it continues its international rollout this weekend with openings in France, Germany, Russia, Australia, Scandinavia and other major territories. Book sales of the best-selling Divergent series continue to skyrocket with total sales nearing 20 million worldwide and sales of the three-book boxed set and three-book e-bundle increasing 55% last week. The three books ranked one-two-three on the USA Today best-seller list for 2013.
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