The “Divergent” Series Will Continue on TV (But Don’t Expect Shailene Woodley to Return)

When the Divergent film series kicked off in 2014, producers no doubt hoped it would be the next Hunger Games, bringing in billions of box office dollars.

Spoiler alert: It did not.

When the third movie in the saga, Allegiant, grossed an embarrassingly low $US66 million in the States, studio Lionsgate ended their plans to wrap up the franchise in cinemas, and instead began mulling a much cheaper option: a TV finale.

Earlier this year, star Shailene Woodley confirmed she would not be a part of the “TV show” version of Divergent. (Never mind that she just scored an Emmy nod for the TV show Big Little Lies. Honestly, we don’t blame her for picking and choosing her small-screen endeavours. When you’re gonna slum, slum it with Reese and Nic.)

Still, Shailene’s exit—and the assumed exodus of her co-stars Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort and Zoe Kravitz—isn’t stopping Lionsgate.

Today comes news from The Hollywood Reporter that the studio is putting together a deal with U.S. network Starz to air the adaptation of Allegiant sequel, Ascendant.

It even has a screenwriter in Adam Cozad and a director in Lee Toland Krieger (both of whom signed on when this thing was meant to go to cinemas).

You have to wonder: If this is going to be a TV series, wouldn't Lionsgate and Starz be better off just starting from the beginning again with some fresh(er) blood?

Given that Starz is also working on a new series from Twilight author Stephenie Meyer, they have just become the home for YA authors who can no longer get film studios to answer their phone calls. 

Photo: Lionsgate