The Divergent Series

[Dejana]

Latest breaking news: Allegiant Part 1 and Allegiant Part 2 have been re-named Allegiant and Ascendant.

I don't know if that's going to fool the non-book readers into forgetting Allegiant is a Part 1 movie, but given the documented box office woes of Part 1s in general, they might as well try it. Maybe calling Allegiant Part 2 something else will give hope to book fans that they changed the ending, at least for the opening weekend...or so the studio hopes.

Edited September 10, 2015 by Dejana

[Chicken Wing]

The name "Ascendant" isn't particularly encouraging to that end... :/

[methodwriter85]

I mean, I really don't care if they go with the book ending or not, I just want characters I can root for and emphasize with, and they're really just avoiding fleshing out the characters.

[benteen]

Latest breaking news: Allegiant Part 1 and Allegiant Part 2 have been re-named Allegiant and Ascendant.

 

As opposed to Shitty and Shittier?

 

I'm sure there haven been others but i don't remember a studio in recent times that has stayed absolutely committed to bashing their heads against a wall until it's bloody instead of just admitting that splitting this shitty book up into two movies is a disaster that needs to be canceled.  Good...I can't wait to see them go over the edge with this one...

[Guest]

As opposed to Shitty and Shittier?

 

I'm sure there haven been others but i don't remember a studio in recent times that has stayed absolutely committed to bashing their heads against a wall until it's bloody instead of just admitting that splitting this shitty book up into two movies is a disaster that needs to be canceled.  Good...I can't wait to see them go over the edge with this one...

 

I mean, Divergent was a great book and a bad movie.  Insurgent was a mediocre book and a terrible movie.  What could they possibly do with the monstrosity that was Allegiant?  The whole book was awful (in my opinion) so it's not like they can tweak it to improve it.  

 

Lighting it on fire? That might improve it.

[Artsda]

Splitting the disaster that was Allegiant up is ridiculous. It's not a massive book like Breaking Dawn. Plus Insurgent wasn't exactly a blockbuster to warrant a split and it'll get worse for Allegiant/Ascendant because of what happens. 

[absnow54]

I think renaming Part 2 is a smart idea. Burn as many bridges from the source material as they can. It still doesn't trump what an awful idea splitting the book up was in the first place.

[GaT]

Latest breaking news: Allegiant Part 1 and Allegiant Part 2 have been re-named Allegiant and Ascendant.

I'm surprised that they're sticking with the 2 part thing, I don't think they box office for the previous movies support the idea. Also, this part of the article:

 

 The tagline for “Ascendant” is particularly interesting — “The End Is Never What You Expect” — given, as fans of the books know, things don’t end up too well for one of our main characters. So will things change by the time we see the finale on screen? Or is this teasing that non-readers are going to be surprised by the shocking ending?

Given that they're calling it "Ascendant", & one of the definitions for that is "moving upward", I think that they're going to change it so that Tris doesn't actually "die", but they have her moving on to another kind of being or something like that. 

[BatmanBeatles]

I think that they're going to change it so that Tris doesn't actually "die", but they have her moving on to another kind of being or something like that.

That sounds lame.

[methodwriter85]

That sounds lame.

 

It does, but I actually think that's where they're going with it, too. Think of the Christopher Pike books from the 1990's where the teen protagonist "dies" in one sense, but lives in another.

[GaT]

It must have been quite a shock to the producers when Allegiant came out, it sure was to the readers. There they were, thinking they had another Twilight on their hands & wham, the love story is ruined.

[methodwriter85]

I work at a movie theater with a bunch of teenagers, and NOBODY is excited for Allegiant,. More people are talking about the Maze Runner.

[Chicken Wing]

Well, the Maze Runner sequel comes out this week. Craplegiant doesn't arrive for six months.

 

Speaking of, I heard the first teaser trailer for Craplegiant will play with The Scorch Trials.​

 

Update: Here's the teaser.

Edited September 15, 2015 by Chicken Wing

[BatmanBeatles]

 

Update: Here's the teaser.

Meh...

[absnow54]

It's astonishing how much disconnect there is between the books and the movies. The first one was pretty faithful, but I can't place any of the scenes from the trailer. What are the flying disk things?

[Chicken Wing]

Direct-to-DVD copies of Ascendant?

[methodwriter85]

Shaliene looks so much better with her hair just a little bit longer in that nifty flipping bob. I'm guessing that the producers weren't really enthused about all the lesbian jokes people on the internet were making with Tris's Allegiant look?

Edited September 16, 2015 by methodwriter85

[Free]

I work at a movie theater with a bunch of teenagers, and NOBODY is excited for Allegiant,. More people are talking about the Maze Runner.

 

This series always felt like a nonevent so having the studios trying to treat this like the next Twilight or THG is laughable with the last book split and having the release date be so close to Batman vs Superman when your series is already lukewarm at best.

 

It must have been quite a shock to the producers when Allegiant came out, it sure was to the readers. There they were, thinking they had another Twilight on their hands & wham, the love story is ruined.

 

I heard the last movie changed a lot so they might do the same here as the ending was already controversial/polarizing among fans.

[healthnut]

I can't place any scenes from the trailer either.

[absnow54]

 

I hated Allegiant and don't mind them taking liberties in adapting it at all, but seriously, did the filmmaker even read the book. When did any of this happen? And where are they cutting the film?

The talk about resetting Chicago

was pretty late in the book.

Edited November 13, 2015 by absnow54

[methodwriter85]

On the other hand, I REALLY like Tris's hairstyle. It reminds me of a chic 1990's haircut.

Edited November 14, 2015 by methodwriter85

[Chicken Wing]

And where are they cutting the film?

The talk about resetting Chicago

was pretty late in the book.

 

Yeah, the movie seems to encompass the plot for the entire book. What's the fourth movie for, then? Can't they unnecessarily drag out the franchise without making it so obvious how unnecessary it is? Geez. 

[GaT]

I'm saying it now, the movie ending is going to be ambiguous, that's their only way around the book ending.

[The Crow]

I just streamed the Insurgent Film earlier this afternoon, it was my first viewing as I'd just finished the book back in August and must say I was pretty disappointed with the translation.

The storyline and characterization were diluted to the point of being stripped of most of their significance and strength such as the omission of the conflicts between Tris and Christina, Tris and Four and Tris' own inner conflict with her PTSD after killing Will that left the story largely flat.
Then there was quite a bit of straight up AU angles. The perspective portrayed in Jeanine's role, that she'd lived to react to the Edith Prior message almost entirely altered her character. There was something intriguing about the expression on her face that suggested a possible revelation, that was a pretty strong moment, but it was wrong.

If it had any value I'd sit here and list all the ways in which the film was disloyal to the book but all fans should already be aware of them.

The casting of Octavia Spencer as Johanna was surprising but satisfactory, however, the scarring on her face was misplaced and far too subtle. In the book Tris describes her as being scarred diagonally across the length of her face and that it's one of those disfigurations that's difficult NOT to stare at yet it took me until the scene where Eric showed up at Amity requesting they hand over the divergents to even notice that Spencer was given scarring at all, let alone in the wrong area.

What bothered me most about the Edith Prior message was how vauge and light hearted it was, including omitting the disclosure of either of her names (recall Edith Prior was an assumed name) and her established position as among their society rather than just as it's creator. The most irritating thing was the 'happily ever after' suggestion it made that brought on a likewise very anticlimactic reaction which seems to disregard Allegiant.

I didn't appreciate the dinner scene at the factionless community being portrayed as fancy when they are supposed to be parallel to a homeless community in real life, described as passing around a single can of food around a garbage can campfire and there was little sense of the unity and organization which made them feel like their own faction.

The truth serum trial was horrible, I didn't buy that performance at all from the Tris actress. The visible resistance she put up against it was not only inaccurate but unattractive to watch but not in a compelling manner and over the top. She looked constipated.

Then there was the fact that the title of the installment, Insurgent was absent without the role of Marcus and Tris' involvement with him in relation to the Edith Prior video.

I also have to say that I hated Tris' haircut, it's much shorter than she cut it in the book and in the scene between her and Caleb in the Erudite cell it looked like freaking Anime hair the way it was all standing up, bleh.

I feel like I need to say a few positive things here to be fair; I did like the emotion in some scenes, the full set of faction specific simulations used as the key to accessing the Edith Prior message as opposed to an obstacle course leading to Jeanine's office was an interesting alteration and the dream sequences were well incorporated to appear as actual interactions, both had me until that exaggerated line came.
The Tris and Four scenes despite the lack of conflict that was supposed to be occurring between them and her faked death were probably the most well done and strongest interactions in the film. Again the fake death was AUed but it was compelling.
I also found the Amity and Candor compounds were well designed as described in the books to effectively portray their values.

I'm refraining from watching any Allegiant trailers or sneak peeks for now, until I finish the book, but hopefully it does a better job considering all the important information and portrayals in it. The fact that the second part has been given an entirely different title is, however, not encouraging. :/
I've suddenly gotten the feeling that the films from Insurgent on are largely being aimed towards catering to those who DON'T read the books, but I seriously doubt they are being deceived. One who is perceptive enough doesn't have to read the books to get a sense of how much of it was butchered. Not having read the book didn't keep my best friend from noticing it in The Time Traveler's Wife film.

Edited November 16, 2015 by The Crow

[absnow54]

Insurgent debuted on HBO last night, and I haven't read the book in a few years, but damn did they really diverge from the basic premise. The whole "% divergent" rang especially false, because in the book, Tris clearly only displayed Abnegation, Eruridite, and Dauntless meaning she'd only be "60% divergent" but even so, the percentage was insignificant. Merely displaying more than one faction was enough. It also really muck with what's revealed in Allegiant, although that was such a trainwreck in the book on its own, that I don't think the movie could muck it up any more. 

 

I thought the first movie was a pretty straight forward adaptation, which was why the second movie was so jarring. I did love that they introduce Uriah without actually introducing him. Oh yeah, that guy, he was here the whole time! We swear!

[methodwriter85]

They also completely took out the Lynn storyline...which sucked for Rosa Salazar. I loved her in the Maze Runner, so it was their loss.

Edited December 14, 2015 by methodwriter85

[Dejana]

Ascendant moved to June 9, 2017. As of now, it opens on the same day as the World War Z sequel. The Power Rangers reboot gets the previous March release date. Maybe Lionsgate is trying to stem off franchise fatigue? Or, they could just be lining up a ready-made excuse in the likelihood that it pulls a Mockingjay - Part 2 and is the lowest grossing movie of the Divergent franchise.

Edited December 17, 2015 by Dejana

[Chicken Wing]

Looks like Lionsgate has more confidence in their potential Power Rangers franchise than in their remaining Divergent movies.

[GaT]

Finally saw Insurgent, what a waste of time. I'm going to have to watch the final movies though, just to see it through & to see for myself how they end it.

[BetterButter]

[GaT]

I don't recognize anything from the book in that trailer.

[BatmanBeatles]

Is that good or bad?

[GaT]

Is that good or bad?

Both :-)

[healthnut]

WOW that was bad. Not sure I want to subject myself to that and I didn't hate Allegiant like most people but I don't remember anything from that trailer.

[Emily Thrace]

Ascendant moved to June 9, 2017. As of now, it opens on the same day as the World War Z sequel. The Power Rangers reboot gets the previous March release date. Maybe Lionsgate is trying to stem off franchise fatigue? Or, they could just be lining up a ready-made excuse in the likelihood that it pulls a Mockingjay - Part 2 and is the lowest grossing movie of the Divergent franchise.

 

I suspect its a reflection on World War Z as much as anything else. Its already lost its director and I don't remember the previous one making much of a splash. Plus zombies aren't as trendy as they used to be.  I suspect they think its more easy prey and then whatever Power Rangers is going up against. Or it could be they're looking to move Power Rangers into an easier slot if they're not happy with how it turned out.

[pootlus]

So that trailer is really weird - repeated "Beyond the wall" mumblings and then a  lot of weird sci-fi combined with sexytimes between Tris and Four.

 

Are they trying to get people to watch or have they given up?

[Dejana]

I suspect its a reflection on World War Z as much as anything else. Its already lost its director and I don't remember the previous one making much of a splash. Plus zombies aren't as trendy as they used to be.  I suspect they think its more easy prey and then whatever Power Rangers is going up against. Or it could be they're looking to move Power Rangers into an easier slot if they're not happy with how it turned out.

 

The first World War Z made over $200 million and $540 million in total worldwide, so it was somewhat more successful than either Divergent film so far. WWZ overcame a troubled production to be a big hit so the same could happen again, or it may not. As for Ascendant, summer could be good for a movie geared to the YA audience, but I'm not sure going 15 months between installments is the best thing for this franchise's momentum. Unless they are changing the ending and want to spend extra time to win back the fanbase?

[Chicken Wing]

I suspect its a reflection on World War Z as much as anything else. Its already lost its director and I don't remember the previous one making much of a splash. Plus zombies aren't as trendy as they used to be.  I suspect they think its more easy prey and then whatever Power Rangers is going up against. Or it could be they're looking to move Power Rangers into an easier slot if they're not happy with how it turned out.

 

Scott Mendelson over at Forbes theorized, and I agree, that sticking Power Rangers into the "spring blockbuster" slot and shuffling Ascendant to the summer is because Lionsgate is simply prioritizing Power Rangers over Ascendant, as the first movie in a potential franchise is more important than the last movie in a dwindling franchise. Ascendant will be going up at World War Z 2, which is definitely going to be the bigger moneymaker of the two, but their audiences don't really overlap and, coupled with schools being out for the summer, they figure Ascendant will do just well enough for that competition (and whatever else is coming out next summer) to not matter much. And even if it does matter, pfft, it doesn't make any difference to them because they're pretty much just dumping these movies at this point.

 

As for the new Allegiant trailer, what the blinking hell was that? Desperate, much?

 

BoxOffice.com has added Allegiant to its long range forecast and they are predicting an opening weekend of $42 million, domestic total $103 million. I think they're on drugs. That's a 20% drop from Insurgent, but Insurgent had the benefit of a 3D surcharge jacking up the total. Without it, Insurgent would have actually opened to around $46 million. They honestly think Allegiant is going to drop only 9% from Insurgent's actual ticket sales? Yeah, right. Maybe 29%...

 

It's worth noting that after this new trailer dropped, Allegiant never trended on Twitter, according to BoxOffice.com's Twitter tracking. I think this is the first time one of these movies never trended in at least the top 5 within hours of a new trailer.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Chicken Wing

[Dejana]

Ascendant director drops out of project

[Chicken Wing]

Even a rat knows when to abandon ship.

[absnow54]

I figured they had filmed Allegiant and Ascendant at the same time.

[Chicken Wing]

No, they were always to be done as two separate productions. Financially speaking that never made sense to me, as one big production would have saved money, so I always figured there was some secret behind-the-scenes reason for it.

Edited February 9, 2016 by Chicken Wing

[benteen]

No, they were always to be done as two separate productions. Financially speaking that never made sense to me, as one big production would have saved money, so I always figured there was some secret behind-the-scenes reason for it.

 

It appears their brains and common sense have checked out when it comes to this series.  The fact that they stupidly and arrogantly clung to the plan of making two movies despite how little this book actually gives them and despite the fact that the series hasn't been a blockbuster movie wise was the first sign.  Not filming both movies at the same time...I don't even know what to think about that.  That's ignoring common sense completely.

[Chicken Wing]

Heh, Screencrush's article on the situation closes out with this amusing line:

 

Elsewhere, Shailene Woodley is angrily calling her agent and demanding to know why he didn’t tell her that she could get out of these things whenever she wanted.

[benteen]

I wonder if the studio is still "smiling" like they said they were after the last films underwhelming opening box office total.

[methodwriter85]

It appears their brains and common sense have checked out when it comes to this series.  The fact that they stupidly and arrogantly clung to the plan of making two movies despite how little this book actually gives them and despite the fact that the series hasn't been a blockbuster movie wise was the first sign.  Not filming both movies at the same time...I don't even know what to think about that.  That's ignoring common sense completely.

 

I've been saying that ever since they announced this almost two years ago. It was stupid then; it's stupid now, especially given the proven box office record drop that happens when you split the last movie into two, and the fact that box office for the sequel dropped 20 percent. Honestly, they're going to be lucky to top 100 million.

 

It boogles the mind that they won't cancel this simply because they don't want to admit that this is a mediocre franchise.

[Emily Thrace]

It appears their brains and common sense have checked out when it comes to this series.  The fact that they stupidly and arrogantly clung to the plan of making two movies despite how little this book actually gives them and despite the fact that the series hasn't been a blockbuster movie wise was the first sign.  Not filming both movies at the same time...I don't even know what to think about that.  That's ignoring common sense completely.

 

That was probably because of Theo James schedule. He pretty much went straight from the set of Detergent to Underworld.  I think they were trying to get the Underworld people to let him go but it was too expensive or they didn't want to.

Edited February 13, 2016 by Emily Thrace

[ribboninthesky1]

He pretty much went straight from the set of Detergent to Underworld.

 

 

This sentence made my day.  

[Chicken Wing]

Final trailer released.

 

[GaT]

Final trailer released.

The people who have left comments on YouTube are apparently seeing a completely different video than I am. Also, they must have read different books too LOL