Divergent

These movies ruined some our of favorite novels.

Why yes, Lionsgate is still trying to keep the Divergent franchise Ascendant. A TV continuation of the films has officially landed in development at Starz, as written, executive produced and directed by the original film team.

A soft plateau to the Divergent film franchise gave way to finishing Ascendant as a TV movie, though stars like Shailene Woodley, Theo James and Miles Teller quickly offered their doubts on participating in a TV wrap-up. Now, Woodley affirms the finality of her distance from the project, despite an upcoming TV role.

It’s been some time since Lionsgate offered any update on the Divergent franchise; last eyed to complete Ascendant as a TV movie while launching a small-screen extension of the series. Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller have both offered their doubts on participating in the TV wrap-up, and we can now add Theo James among the chorus of stars unwilling to carry on continuity.

There’s still plenty to figure out with regard to the Divergent films wrapping up their final chapter with a TV movie, and potentially spinning into a new series from there, but it looks like Tris may be leaving the faction. Pressed if she might take part in the TV film, Shailene Woodley told reporters “I didn’t sign up to be in a television show.”

Lionsgate recently announced that the final film in the Divergent series will skip theaters entirely and head straight to television, with additional plans to launch a spinoff series. Although the franchise has suffered diminishing returns at the box office, news of the Ascendant TV movie and (possible) spinoff was still a bit surprising to everyone — including Miles Teller, who seems somewhat hesitant about this whole television business.

The first Divergent movie did OK in theaters, owing much of its success to the YA post-apocalyptic craze and the popularity of stars Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller. But the subsequent installments saw diminishing returns, with the third film, Allegiant, taking a major hit at the box office — possibly because audiences had YA fatigue, or maybe because the story just wasn’t that compelling. Whatever the case may be, the final Divergent film will skip past theaters and head direct-to-television, with plans to launch a spinoff series.

The world of Divergent is a dystopia divided into five distinct factions: Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, and Erudite — plus those who don’t fit neatly into any one faction, who are known as Divergent.

There are only three Divergent books. But there’s going to be four movies. Because when you take a popular series of young-adult novels and turn them into a series of movies, you always split the last one. That’s just the rule. If you don’t, they kick you out of Hollywood.

The Divergent series has never reached the culture-saturating heights of the Hunger Games movies, but it’s done well for itself. Divergent and its awkwardly titled sequel, The Divergent Series: Insurgent, left fans satisfied and made their fare share of cash at the box office. The first trailer for The Divergent Series: Allegiant (ugh, that title) is preaching to the choir. No one put off by the first two films will be won over by this footage and no one who skipped the first two will be able to follow any of this, but this movie doesn’t need your approval. It just needs the approval of the faithful.