The Next “Divergent” Movie Is Skipping Cinemas, Going Straight To Tele And May Not Even Star Shailene Woodley

Hollywood giveth and Hollywood taketh away.

Though she missed out on the role of Katniss in The Hunger Games, ascendant (geddit?) young actress Shailene Woodley was instead handed the lead of The Divergent Series, which initially promised to be just as big at the box office.

Except, it wasn’t. The first film made $US150 million in the States, while its sequel, Insurgent, grossed $US130 million. Earlier this year, the third part of the quadrilogy (based on a trilogy of books), Allegiant, earned just $US66 million in America. That is not the direction those numbers should be heading.

Its studio, Lionsgate, attempted to stem the bleeding by slashing the budget of the final entry, Ascendant.

Now, it seems they’re just plain cutting their losses by skipping cinemas altogether, saving cash by not having to book inevitably empty theatres.

A source has told Variety Ascendant will instead debut on U.S. television (though it’s not known on what network, or how it will be unfurled internationally, as Lionsgate is yet to officially pitch the project).

The telemovie will then segue into a spinoff series, that stretches beyond author Veronica Roth’s source material.

Variety says deals have not yet been made with stars Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ansel Elgort and the rest, therefore it’s unknown if they’ll return for the last flick.

Does Woodley really want to work on a direct-to-TV project? Or, is she so committed to wrapping up Tris’ story that she’d participate even if the flick was going to be streamed via Ask Jeeves?

More news as it develops.

Photo: Lionsgate