Back in July, reports surfaced that Lionsgate’s finalDivergent movie,The Divergent Series: Ascendant, will skip theaters entirely, airing as a TV movie that will set up a spinoff series. The news tookShailene Woodleyby surprise this summer, revealing in an interview that she had just gotten off a plane when hearing the news. While no official details about thisDivergentTV movie have been announced,Shailene Woodleyhas made it clear that she has no intention of joining a TV series.
BothShailene WoodleyandMiles Tellerwouldn’t clarify their stance on the TV movie one way or another after the news broke this summer, but during an interview withScreen Rant, while promoting her new filmSnowden,Shailene Woodleyseemingly hasn’t heard any updates since the initial rumor surfaced. If the studio still does plan on turning the franchise into a TV spinoff series,Shailene Woodleydoes not want to be a part of it.
TheDivergentmovies have never been cash cows at the box office, but the first two put up solid numbers, although they were far frombox office blockbusters.Divergentearned $150.9 million domestic and $288.8 million worldwide from an $85 million budget, while the second movie,The Divergent Series: Insurgent, came in just below its predecessor’s domestic take ($130.1 million), but made more overall globally ($297.2 million). Last year’sThe Divergent Series: Allegiantonly made $66.1 million domestically $179.2 million worldwide.
While the news that a franchise was turning its finale into a TV movie was surprising, there were clues all along. Shortly after the release ofAllegiantlast year, a report claimed that Lionsgate was planning on slashing the budget forAscendant. While an exact figure was never given, the report said that several millions of dollars will be shaved off from the $110 million the studio spent onAllegiant. Turning a big-budget franchise finale into a TV movie is certainly one way to trim a budget, but we still haven’t gotten any further details. It’s still possible thatShailene Woodleywould return as Tris Prior for the TV movie version ofThe Divergent Series: Ascendant, to close out the franchise, but it seems she won’t reprise that role in this potential TV spinoff.
