Lionsgate and Summit are on the hunt for a new director to steer theirDivergentfranchise to the finish line. First of all, yes, those movies are still happening. In fact, there’s a new one coming out in just over a month! This March’sAllegiantis the third picture in the sci-fi franchise based onVeronica Roth’s trilogy of novels, but this being Hollywood and all, Lionsgate and Summit opted to stretch the series to four movies instead of three, even though the trailers forAllegiantsuggest they’re wrapping up the source material in this third film, meaning the finale,Ascendant, is uncharted territory.
But before we get to that, we need a director.Neil BurgerhelmedDivergent, which Lionsgate and Summit hoped to craft into its ownHunger Games-style franchise, but which fell short of those box office aspirations. The picture was a decent sized hit though, and since Burger couldn’t meet the time frame necessary to dive straight into the sequel, the studios enlistedRedandR.I.P.D.directorRobert Schwentketo helmInsurgent, the second film. Schwentke subsequently signed on to complete the franchise withAllegiantandAscendant, but Deadline now reports that the filmmaker has exited the director’s chair for the finale. There’s apparently no drama or “creative differences” to account for the change—Schwentke simply needed a break after makingInsurgentandAllegiantback to back.
Lionsgate and Summit have to act fast, though, asAscendantis racing towards a July 23, 2025 release date with plans to start filming this summer.Shailene WoodleyandTheo Jameslead the films as Tris and Four, a pair of individuals brought up in a futuristic Chicago who come to learn that their walled-off city was actually part of a larger worldwide experiment.Allegiantfinds them coming face to face with those beyond the wall, but the trailers suggest a much more action-oriented, military-focused story than what was in the books. Moreover, with so much of the third book’s story being covered in this film, I’m curious to see what Lionsgate and Summit have planned forAscendant.
It was clear withInsurgentthat the studios changed tone a bit, going after a more male-centric audience afterDivergentfailed to capture the numbers they hoped for. Ironically,Insurgentgrossed a worldwide total of $297 million—just $9 million more thanDivergent. WillAllegiantgive the franchise an upswing, or if it misses the mark, will Lionsgate and Summit scuttle the final installment altogether? I have a hard time seeing them scrapping plans for the finale after producing three movies, but the fact remains that this series was far from theHunger Games-esque hit they were hoping for, and a turnaround of that magnitude seems unlikely.
I’m interested to see what kind of filmmaker they nab forAscendant, although with such a tight deadline they’re no doubt on the hunt for a quick and capable director, not necessarily someone with a bold or ambitious vision that will shake things up. They’re in the home stretch, so really it’s just a matter of completing this thing in a serviceable fashion.
