'The Divergent Series': Here's a look at the new titles for the final two movies
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Molly Driscoll Staff writer
Movie studio Lionsgate recently announced the titles of their forthcoming films based on 鈥淎llegiant,鈥� Veronica Roth鈥檚 final book in her 鈥淒ivergent鈥� trilogy.
The second film in the series, 鈥淚nsurgent,鈥� was released this past March. The first of the final two films, now titled 鈥淭he Divergent Series: Allegiant,鈥� will be released this coming March with the last film in the movie series, now titled 鈥淭he Divergent Series: Ascendant,鈥� to follow in the spring of 2017.聽
The 鈥淒ivergent鈥� film series is based on the trilogy by Roth, which centers on a girl named Tris (Shailene Woodley) who lives in a dystopian version of Chicago where people are sorted into factions based on their character traits. The films co-star Theo James, Miles Teller, and Kate Winslet.
For fans of young adult book series adapted as movies, the decision to split the final book into two movies will come as anything but a surprise. The idea went high-profile with the 鈥淗arry Potter鈥� franchise, where the last book, 鈥淗arry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,鈥� was split into two films. Since then, fellow franchises like 鈥淭wilight鈥� and 鈥淭he Hunger Games鈥� have followed suit. This can lead to some wordy titles, as with the upcoming movie 鈥淭he Hunger Games: Mockingjay 鈥� Part 2.鈥� Perhaps the title change for the 鈥淒ivergent鈥� movies is an attempt to avoid the extra punctuation.聽
With the release of the upcoming "Mockingjay鈥� movie, one of the most lucrative young adult book series adaptations ever is coming to a close. The 鈥淒ivergent鈥� movie series has done well but its domestic gross has not come close to the numbers of 鈥淗arry鈥� or 鈥淗unger Games.鈥� While 鈥淭he Hunger Games: Mockingjay 鈥� Part 1鈥� was the second-highest-grossing movie domestically of 2014, 鈥淒ivergent鈥� was far below that at number 19. While the yearly domestic gross numbers for 2015 obviously have plenty of time to change, 鈥淭he Divergent Series: Insurgent鈥� is currently at number 16.聽
In order for a young adult book series adaptation to gross 鈥淗arry鈥� or 鈥淗unger Games"-like numbers, it would need to have the zeitgeist-dominating power that those two series had. 鈥淭wilight鈥� was also a cultural phenomenon in its time and did accordingly well at the box office, grossing numbers that were in the league of 鈥淗arry鈥� and 鈥淗unger Games鈥� (鈥淭he Twilight Saga: Eclipse鈥� actually topped 鈥淗arry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 鈥� Part 1鈥� at the domestic box office). 聽
鈥淒ivergent鈥� is a popular book series but didn鈥檛 dominate pop culture during the time that it was published, nor did the books that were the basis of current movie franchise 鈥淭he Maze Runner鈥� or the upcoming film 鈥淭he 5th Wave.鈥� To create a hit of "Potter" or "Hunger Games" magnitude, Hollywood may have to wait for another book series 鈥� one with the power to entice teens and adults alike even as it becomes a dominant part of popular culture.
