THE DIVERGENT SERIES was a YA franchise that started off with relative promise back in 2014, but much like the apocalyptic hell it was depicting everything soon went up in a massive shit fire. The most recent film in the series (ALLEGIANT), fared so much worse in both the critical and box office department than the others that the final outing in the series is doubtful to even happen—at least not in the form the few fans remaining would like—a reality that is becoming more grim by the day.
During a press junket for the upcoming UNDERWORLD: BLOOD WARS attended by our own JimmyO, DIVERGENT SERIES man candy Theo James was asked about the upcoming plans for the fourth and final film (as the third and final book in the series was split into two “parts”), which has been hinted will move to TV instead of theaters. His response was followed by the sound of breaking hearts in millions of teen girls around the world, a sound that rivaled that of Krakatoa:
I think it's taking on another [direction]. It's a shame not to finish the franchise, but it's evolving into something that is different and I don't think I'll be part of it.
James then elaborated a bit more in an interview in TooFab by addressing the fans, and discussing the doubtful return of the series' original cast:
My message would be ‘Thanks for the support.’ I think it’s a shame that we can’t finish the story, but I think it’s evolving in a place where the actors that have been in the three movies probably won’t be in whatever it evolves to in the future.
This news is yet another nail in the DIVERGENT coffin after star Shailene Woodley said she “didn’t sign up to be in a TV show,” and was not “interested” in that direction. Director of the first film Neil Burger has also spoken to the issue, saying the studio seems to regret splitting the finale into two, and is still trying to figure out how to handle this whole pile of goo.
With that in mind, the studio never seemed to have a clear, firm idea in mind for how to present these movies. The first film failed to deliver TWILIGHT and HUNGER GAMES numbers, so the second film (INSURGENT) was put into 3D, but still fared worse in the box office and critical departments. The third outing was then moved back into just 2D, but proved the series hadn’t even begun to suck by finishing with an abysmal 12 percent Rotten Tomatoes score (read our own Chris Bumbray's take here!) and a $66 million domestic take (off a $130 million take from the second).
The whole YA-dystopian-future genre has never done it for me, but DIVERGENT took it to a whole new level of eye-roll, so I’m not surprised the series has ended in such infamy. With James and Woodley presumably out (as well as the whole damn cast) I find it hard for the series to move forward with any plans they have for the finale, whether it be for TV, or even a stage production, if it went that far. However, anyone who doesn’t return for the final outing will be just fine. Woodley has done great work in smaller films, Miles Teller’s career has blown into the stratosphere with terrific films like WHIPLASH, and James has…certain angles that work for him, I suppose.