This news broke a couple of days ago on Variety, and has not been confirmed by Lionsgate; but it also has not been denied, so I guess it is true. Allegiant-the-movie (or rather, Allegiant-the-movie-somewhat-loosely-inspired-by Veronica Roth’s-Allegiant-the-novel) failed to scale the high wall of acceptable reviews and–more importantly, no doubt–box office proceeds. Lionsgate has decided not to proceed with Ascendant-the-movie, but rather will tie up the franchise with a TV movie, that will hopefully launch a new TV series with different characters set in Roth’s dystopia.
As the resident Divergent-junkie and Veronica Roth fangirl, I see the news as a mixed bag. It is crystal-clear that Lionsgate overplayed its hand in thinking they could squeeze four films out of this trilogy, especially when the book they chose to “split,” Allegiant, itself disappointed so many fans. As it was, the Insurgent and Allegiant movies deviated so much from the books that inspired them that I don’t think I’ll miss the fourth movie on the big screen. There’s also the fact that they basically used up all their source material in the third movie, unless they planned to spend 2 hours killing Tris and scattering her ashes from the Hancock Tower. Link to the Mugglenet academia podcast for more details on this.
There’s a lot we don’t know; apparently the announcement came as a surprise to a lot of people, including the cast. It’s unclear if any of the major players will sign on for the movie, or even if a network is interested. Veronica Roth, a fairly consistent social media presence, is so far silent on the issue. But, if the TV-movie is re-envisioned as an “out with the old, in with the new” launch for a new series, it makes more sense to kill Tris, mind-wipe Peter and let the ashes of Allegiant disappear into the wind as they start a new story with different characters.
My advice for the Gamemakers:
Go back to the source material you skipped in Divergent, Insurgent and the Free Four stories. There are lots of plotlines and characters you could pick up. Uriah is the obvious choice, since you didn’t even let the poor guy speak in the Allegiant movie, though Kenyan Lonsdale is presumably unavailable; all comics fans know he will eventually be Kid Flash. But there’s always Shauna (hire a disabled actress for genuine diversity in your cast), Cara, George and Amar. Yes, you will have to pay Ms. Roth royalties for her creations, but divert some of your special effects budget to her, and a few good screenwriters, and you’ll have a better product in the end.- Psychology and neuroscience is what made the best part of the series tick. Work some into the TV movie and series.
- As I said in my first Allegiant review, there were a few possibilities for follow-up plots. Peter gradually reverting to his old personality, despite the lost memories. Marcus still floating around, presumably ready to make trouble. The government’s uneasy acceptance of the new Bureau and the aborted Chicago experiment. The continued threat from the Fringe. And, of course, how the city itself adjusts to life after factions.
Finally, if you are going to follow up with the failed experiment angle, hire a genetics consultant, get the science right and spend some time educating the public about epigenetics while you are at it. Actually, I know some science faculty at Mary Baldwin University who will be happy to advise your scriptwriters in exchange for a donation to our building renovation fund.
THIS IS SOOOOO F’ING STUPID!!!!!!
Tris is the main character and if you are changing the movie tittle to be different than the book tittle than the ending should be different as well. Why can’t we have a happy ending with LOTS of action and romance. Why don’t we let Tris and Tobias live and have a nice ending with lots of battles leading up to it and many twists and cliff hangers leading into the next scene throughout the movie.
?????I’m so sad about this. I was looking forward to allegiant part 2 and now it’s not even going to be the same.
Save ascendant! It does not have to be a TV movie, it could be in Netflix, red box, or plublic library’s.
Oh… Come on…. It shouldn’t have been ended with a sad & unexpected ending… It’s unjust…. Cause why some writers & directors think they must finish their job like that…. I’m agreed with those who want a happy ending after lots of battles & romantic relationship between Tris & Four. Nowadays most of films with romance genres have a devastating sad ending. I’m sorry for them that think they’ve broken cliches; but in fact they’ve broken our hearts.(unfortunately)
this is beutiful. i love action and romance<3<3<3
I’m so pissed i was absolutely obsessed with the divergent series and when I heard that a new one was going to be released I was sooooooooooo happy and now to hear that it won’t come out!!!!!!!!!???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
ARE YOU KIDDING ME????!!! I SPENT SO MUCH TIME ON THIS MOVIE AND MAKING FAN PAGES AND YOUR NOT DOING IT??? THEY NEED TO PROTEST ABOUT IT!! THIER 1 MILLION FANS WANTS TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!! THIS IS SUVH A DISSAPOINT I WILL NEVER WATCH ANYMORE OF YOUR MOVIES AGIN UNTIL YOU BRING US ALLEIGENT 2 OUT!
I would like to know what the name of ascendant is gonna be as the tv movie. I would like to kno if any1 has any new info.
Finish what you start . Bullshit hollywood.
I’m not so good in English because i am dutch. I LOVE THE STORRY AND NOW THEY WON’T GO FURTHER WITH IT!! YOU ALL DISAPPOINTED SO MANY FANS! I WANNA SEE ASCENDANT AS A FILM WITH ALL THE OLD CHARACTERS NOT NEW! I WAITED SO LONG FOR IT!!! IT’S SO SAD TO HEAR THIS! PLEASEEEE FINISH WHAT YOU START. IF YOU STARTED SOMETHING. FINISH IT ALSO!!!
These studios have no conscience, they shouldn’t even call themselves part of the entertainment industry since they are focused on profit first and entertainment last! They need to wrap the series up and give movie goers what they want, which is a satisfying ending with the hero and heroine riding off into the sunset after saving the world! I own two of Victoria Roth’s the books; Divergent and Insurgent, I passed on the final book due to the unsatisfactory ending. I read Allegiant as a library loan, but after finishing it refused to buy the book to complete my collection. Instead, I downloaded a fan fiction version called DETERMINANT by a writer who writes under the pseudonym WINDCHIMED on WattPad,.. which was mega-superior to Roth’s version!
#SaveAscendant Please Finish what you start !!
People don’t like ‘cliffhangers’!
As for people not being interested in the final chapter because it strays from the book, NEITHER Hunger Games NOR Maze Runner came CLOSE to what was written so why should it matter for Allegiant Part 2?
Weighed on the scales-of-glory: It is better to have a complete movie series that didn’t do well than to have an incomplete movie series that didn’t do well.
So I just finished Allegiant, the book, and the movie as well…. It surprised me what happened in the book. Divergent was pretty good, but the series just got worse, more and more cliche… Only at the very end of Allegiant was I surprised. I didn’t think the author had the balls. But it did redeem her a bit, when Tris was pretty obviously a self insert. Or at least, mostly a self insert. However, I didn’t necessarily like it. I thought that the Allegiant movie was split into two parts, but apparently not. The sci-fi parts of the movie looked kind of cheap, like it was made in 2004. I could barely even tell what parts the movie was taking from the book. The books didn’t really blow my mind away, and neither did the movies.
hi, i wanted to tell people (and please if you read this), if you know someone that can contact Shailene Woodley (Tris Prior). Please do that! We all want part 4 because part 3 is a big cliphanger.. And I know it’s 2021, but all the actors are still here and it will be a succes if part 4 is coming. Everyone has waiting too long.
If you started something, you have to finish it.
Yasly.