Just as San Diego Comic-Con was getting ready to kick off last month, it was announced that the fourth and final movie in the Divergent Series, Ascendant, won't hit theaters as originally planned. Instead, it will air as a TV movie at a soon-to-be-determined channel or platform. The news about moving to television came as a shock to not just fans, but also to all the actors involved, according to actor Miles Teller.
Teller, who plays Peter Hayes in the Divergent franchise, told THR during the War Dogs premiere yesterday that the cast was surprised by the Ascendant news when it first hit. He explained:
It caught us all by surprise. Things do change anytime they're messing with something that was not the original intention. We all signed on for it in hopes that it'd be released in theaters, and we all had every intention of finishing [the franchise].
Main star Shailene Woodley previously shared how she learned the news around the same time as everyone else when she was getting off a plane, but it's still interesting to hear the reaction from another key player. As for whether Miles Teller will reprise Peter for the TV version of Ascendant, he said he wasn't sure yet, noting how it's a "different set of circumstances" and that he hasn't talked to anyone yet. However, despite this unusual setback, he made sure to commend the Divergent series, saying he had "nothing but love" for everyone he worked with on the previous three movies.
The Divergent Series: Ascendant was originally going to be released on June 9, 2017, which would have pit it against World War Z 2 and The Mummy reboot. However, following Allegiant's poor critical and commercial performance, director Robert Schwentke opted not to return for Ascendant, and then the movie's budget was reportedly slashed. All these factors presumably led to Lionsgate re-evaluate how they wanted to proceed with the franchise, eventually leading to the TV decision. So far none of the movie actors have been confirmed to return, but Lee Toland Krieger is still slated to direct.
Despite Ascendant being demoted from theaters to the small screen, the studio doesn't want to leave the Divergent franchise behind once the last installment is released. After the TV movie has aired, the next goal is to premiere a spinoff TV series that would feature a new cast of characters in the same world. Nevertheless, the focus right now is getting that fourth movie out to conclude the original story. Since Miles Teller's Peter Hayes is one of the lead characters, one would imagine Lionsgate will try their hardest to get him back rather than recast the role.
We'll keep you updated on what's happening with The Divergent Series: Ascendant as more information comes in.
