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‘Divergent: Ascendant’ Moves The ‘Divergent’ Franchise From Cinemas To Television

By Stacey Cole
Published on: 19:57 PST, Jul 25, 2016

Divergent: Ascendant is the next installment in the Divergent series that was expected to be released in in cinemas in June, 2017. However, fans that were eagerly waiting for the next installment in the Divergent series will have to face the prospect of watching it on their television screens, thanks to a new decision made by Lionsgate. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Lionsgate will be reconfiguring the movie for television audiences and tentatively repositioning it to launch a spinoff series.

Although Lionsgate has refused to comment on the latest developments, the relative failure of Divergent: Allegiant, the most recent installment of the series, at the box office prompted Lionsgate executives to contemplate the fate of the fourth film from the Divergent franchise.

As disappointed as fans may be, there’s every chance that Lionsgate know what they’re doing. The decision to reposition the next installment for television could very well save the failing franchise, just as the entertainment company has previously saved several programs that were canceled on other networks. Lionsgate’s television division saved Nashville, the canceled program on ABC, by hiring the cast to return on Viacom’s CMT.

Divergent and Insurgent, the first two films in the Divergent series did well at the box office, garnering over $150 million and $130 million respectively. However, Allegiant only managed to pull in $66 million, which was most likely the impetus for Lionsgate to rethink its strategy regarding the franchise.

According to Fashion & Style, pre-production for the upcoming Divergent: Ascendant is yet to start, and Lee Toland Krieger is scheduled to direct the next movie in the Divergent series that was previously directed by Robert Schwentke.

Shailene Woodley, the lead actress in the franchise, is reportedly unaware of the latest developments surrounding the Divergent franchise, which is based on Veronica Roth’s books. According to the Guardian, the Divergent series tells the story of Tris, the character played by Shailene, a young woman based in a futuristic and post-apocalyptic Chicago where people are divided into factions based on their personality types.

The divergent Tris is warned that she does not fit into any of the factions, and she soon finds out that there is a dangerous plot that is been hatched to overthrow the establishment and crumple the so-called perfect society. Eventually, Tris goes on to lead a rebellion against Jeannie, the terrifying authoritarian leader played by Kate Winslet. Even though Shailene Woodley featured in the earlier movies in the Divergent series, it is not clear whether she and her co-stars Miles Teller and Ansel Elgort will be featuring in the television version of the Divergent: Ascendant movie. An insider has revealed that Shailene will very well consider the role in Divergent: Ascendant if offered to her, as she is already poised to establish herself on the small screen by starring in Big Little Lies, an upcoming limited series on HBO.

Other cast members of the Divergent series are reportedly keen to be a part of Divergent: Ascendant even though they are busy with their own projects. Actress Octavia Spencer, who portrays Joanna Reyes in the series, is highly impressed with the work of Veronica Roth, who wrote the books in the Divergent series at the young age of 18. Octavia particularly liked the idea of depicting women as leaders who led different factions that were multi-faceted and diverse. According to Fashion & Style, Octavia appreciated the outlook that Veronica Roth had when she wrote the books.

“Her idea of the future was made up of many people from multicultural backgrounds.”

In particular, Octavia enjoys playing the role of Johanna, who strives to maintain peace and harmony within her faction and within other factions. However, Veronica Roth’s recent blog post revealed that the upcoming Divergent: Ascendant might deviate from her book. The Divergent franchise might have failed at the box office in its latest installment, but there is every chance that Lionsgate can resurrect the franchise and turn it into a television success.

[Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images]

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