Veronica Roth’s Divergent books — a defining young-adult dystopian franchise of the early 2010s — may yet see their unfinished screen story revisited.
Roth famously wrote the first Divergent novel in roughly 50 days; when it was published in 2011 it became a phenomenon, spending nearly a year on the New York Times bestseller list. Its follow-ups, Insurgent and Allegiant, each launched at number one. That popularity led Lionsgate (via Summit Entertainment) to bring the series to theaters: Divergent arrived on the big screen in 2014, followed by Insurgent in 2016. The planned finale, Ascendant, however, never came together and the screen trilogy remains incomplete.
YA adaptations continue to be in demand, with streaming services and studios regularly turning popular novels into film and TV projects. Still, the missing third Divergent adaptation continues to sting for many fans. Roth has since returned to the world she created with a newly reimagined Divergent-set book, The Sixth Faction, and that has prompted speculation that the franchise might get another shot on screen. In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Roth said she has shared the new material with the relevant parties but made clear her primary focus is on writing books; if a screen opportunity arises she’d welcome it, but she’s content if it doesn’t.
Roth also revealed she’s finished the second installment of a duology, titled The Last Testimony, due in February. Once that two-book arc is complete, she described the Divergent universe as feeling “closed for now,” while stopping short of ruling out future projects entirely — essentially leaving the door ajar for whatever might come next. For some observers, adapting this new duology could be the clearest path toward reviving the franchise for a fresh audience.
After Ascendant’s cancellation there was a brief effort by Lionsgate to pivot: the plan shifted to making a television movie for Starz that could have launched a spin-off series. That effort faltered in part because key cast members chose not to return — Shailene Woodley and Theo James, who had played Tris and Four, declined to reprise their roles. Roth noted that by then many of the actors had moved on with their careers, so bringing everyone back wasn’t realistic.
Despite the trilogy never being completed on screen, Roth looks back on the adaptation experience with appreciation, saying it opened doors for her that might not have otherwise appeared. There remain unresolved questions about how a final installment would have handled some of the more controversial plot points from Allegiant’s concluding pages; Roth said it’s difficult to judge how faithful a screen version would have been and that those involved were trying to find a workable approach, but ultimately the idea didn’t materialize.
As talk of another possible Divergent adaptation circulates, uncertainty remains about how a new film or series would be received more than a decade after the books first exploded in popularity. Whether a fresh adaptation could successfully revive the franchise and connect with a new generation of viewers is an open question — but with Roth still producing new work set in her universe, the opportunity for a comeback exists, however tentative it may be.
Ava Thornton is an entertainment journalist with a keen eye for the latest in Hollywood, indie films, and streaming trends.
Her work blends insider knowledge with a deep appreciation for storytelling.
