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Divergent Series Ascendant: What Happened To The Final Movie? Explained
Divergent Series Ascendant's planned TV finale was canceled, leaving the movie series unfinished. Read on to learn more.
Originally, The Divergent Series: Ascendant was supposed to be the last installment in the well-known science fiction series. Unfortunately, the fourth installment's intentions, which were supposed to wrap up the plot, were finally shelved, leaving the series unfinished.
Following the success of The Hunger Games franchise, a number of young adult sci-fi novel adaptations led to this choice. The Divergent Series did not achieve the same degree of success as its predecessor, despite a bright beginning.
The Divergent Series, based on Veronica Roth's best-selling novels, starred renowned actors such as Shailene Woodley, Miles Teller, and Zoë Kravitz. The series is set in a futuristic world where people are separated into factions based on their prominent virtues, which are Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, and Erudite. Those that exhibit qualities from different groups are referred to as "divergent," and they pose a challenge to the current order.
The Divergent Series: Ascendant was made in response to the poor box office performance of Allegiant
There were obvious indicators that the public's enthusiasm in the Divergent Series was waning before The Divergent Series: Allegiant opened in theaters. The total revenue of the first film was barely exceeded by the second one. Studios realized that more YA dystopian films might not be profitable to produce when Allegiant's global box office receipts of less than 180 million USD fell short of Insurgent's 300 million USD the previous year (Box Office Mojo).
Originally, the intention for The Divergent Series: Allegiant was to divide the final book in Veronica Roth's trilogy into two films. The plan was to begin production on the final picture following the release of its predecessor. Unfortunately, Allegiant did not perform well at the box office, prompting the termination of preparations for the third feature.
In July 2016, it was reported that instead of a theatrical release, the story would end with a television film. The cast didn't appear delighted with the change. It was also evident that the cost of making the films had been increasing with each installment.
The budget for the first picture was approximately 80 million USD, but by the third feature, it had risen to 110 million USD. Viewers would still anticipate the same excellent production value as in the movies even with the switch to TV. It would be difficult to achieve that quality on a much smaller budget, though.
The Divergent Series: Ascendant was canceled in 2018
None of the original cast members from the first three Divergent films wanted to do a TV movie, especially one that acted as a pilot for a prospective series.
Shailene Woodley, who played the protagonist Tris Prior, expressed a wish to return and finish Tris' story, but she insisted on doing so in a theatrical film. Woodley was deeply disappointed with the saga's finale; she was so upset with the series' path that she considered quitting acting entirely.
Regrettably, the remaining members of the original cast were equally unenthusiastic about the story being told on television. Despite years of production and excitement from fans of the franchise, The Divergent Series: Ascendant was ultimately canceled in 2018 due to the general apathy of the main characters.
Cast members such as Miles Teller and Zoe Kravitz were already moving on to greater roles and projects, so convincing them to return was always unlikely. Splitting the final Divergent novel into two films ultimately killed the series' ending, demonstrating the dangers of breaking a story into two pieces. If the first film fails to meet financial expectations, the series will be abandoned, disappointing both the filmmakers and the public.
The Divergent series' critical reception hurt the series
The Divergent film series experienced numerous obstacles that led to its early conclusion, with critical reception playing a crucial role. Despite being based on a successful book series and starring a superb cast, the films failed to connect with critics.
Divergent, the first film, had a dismal 41% rating on Rotten Tomatoes—not a good start. Even worse performers were Insurgent and Allegiant, with 28% and 11%, respectively. The studio probably canceled the fourth movie and ended the series as a result of these low scores.
The main reasons why critics disliked the series were its lack of originality and excessive adherence to the young adult formula. Even though negative reviews don't always end a series, they usually portend trouble when they keep getting worse. The actors were less enthusiastic about the show's future after reading the reviews, which claimed it had lost its direction.
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