In a surprising turn of events, Lionsgate won’t be releasing “The Divergent Series: Ascendant” on the big screen.
According to Variety, the 4th and final movie in the series will be made into a television movie that will then launch into a standalone spinoff TV series to wrap up anything and everything “Divergent”.
With negotiations still underway, the idea is to conclude the storylines involving the original cast and to introduce a new crop of actors and characters into the mix, who will then continue the TV series on either a standard network, cable, or a streaming service. No word yet if headliners Shailene Woodley, Theo James, and Ansel Elgort will return for the final chapter.
“Ascendant” was originally slated to open in cinemas on 9th June 2017, going up against “World War Z 2” and “The Mummy” reboot, but will now debut on a different date.
After “Allegiant” bombed hard at the box office earlier this year, Lionsgate was forced to rethink their strategy in moving ahead with the “Divergent” franchise saga.
The first 2 films were solid performers, with the 1st movie bringing in US$150 million in the US and US$288.8 million worldwide, while the 2nd film brought in US$130.1 million in the US and US$297.2 million worldwide. Unfortunately, “Allegiant” only made US$66.1 million in the US and went on make US$179.2 million worldwide.
Despite the alarming news, it’s encouraging to know that the studio is still taking some initiative to properly conclude the saga rather than letting it fall off the grid.
It makes sense that Lionsgate would want to tie up the current story arc, but why introduce a “Divergent” TV spinoff? If the audiences weren’t excited about the recent 3rd instalment, why would they want to tune in for a TV show?
What are your thoughts “Divergent” fans, would you watch a “Divergent” TV series with an all-new cast?
Sources: Movie Web, /Film, Screen Rant.
