New Divergent Book’s Potential Movie Adaptation Addressed By Author After Incomplete Trilogy

Published Oct 16, 2026, 2:26 PM EDT Rianna is the Movie News Editor for ScreenRant. After earning her BA in Film Studies, she began her career as an entertainment writer, contributing to several publications before joining ScreenRant. Her dissertation on the impact of streaming on traditional cinema sharpened her focus on the ever-evolving world of film and media. With 10 years in the industry, Rianna continues to cover the stories she loves while also advocating for awareness and representation of rare disabilities, such as Moebius Syndrome, which she lives with. Divergent's incomplete trilogy may get a redemption. The Divergent trilogy was written by Veronica Roth and was established as an iconic young adult dystopian success during the early 2010s. After drafting a manuscript in just 50 days, Roth's creation hit the shelves in 2011 and spent 47 consecutive weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, with its sequels Insurgent and Allegiant debuting at number one. Due to its success, Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment adapted the novel and released a movie in 2014; its sequel arrived in 2016, but the missing piece was Ascendant, which was cancelled. The YA adaptations are alive and well, with streaming giants and major studios bringing beloved novels to life. However, one that remains a sore subject is the missing third adaptation from the Divergent series. Roth has recently published The Sixth Faction, set in a reimagined Divergent universe. Now, fans are left wondering if this could lead to an adaptation once again. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the author shared an update surrounding rumors of a return to film: "I sent it to the people I needed to send it to. But I’m so focused on books; that’s my preferred medium. If something happens, that’ll be really fun, and if it doesn’t, that’s alright." Roth has already concluded writing the duology's second book, titled The Last Testimony, which is set to release in February. The author shared that once the duology is complete, the Divergent series feels "nice and closed for now," but left room for hope by adding "don't ever say never." It appears that perhaps adapting the duology is the last remaining hope for restoring the successful YA dystopian franchise for a whole new generation. Rearrange the movies into the correct US release order. There was hope when Lionsgate approached the team after Ascendant's adaptation was cancelled, and attempted to turn the novel into a TV movie for Starz, essentially launching a spinoff series. However, both the leading stars, Shailene Woodley and Theo James, declined and didn't return to reprise their roles as Tris and Four. Roth shared that, "I think at that point all of the actors had kind of moved forward. Everyone had moved forward, and we weren’t going to move back," Despite the unfinished trilogy, the author remains positive about the experience and stated, "They kind of gave me this great opportunity in my career that I wouldn’t have gotten without them." With a lot of unanswered questions, it was unclear how faithful the adaptation would have been regarding a divisive tragedy during the final chapters. Roth says it's "hard to say," how faithful the movie would have been and "they were trying to figure out a way to make it work, but obviously it didn't come to fruition." With a potential Divergent adaptation on the horizon, it's uncertain just how the new movie would be received and if the legacy will remain alive and fruitful 15 years later. First Film Divergent Cast Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Zoë Kravitz, Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, Ray Stevenson, Maggie Q, Kate Winslet, Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney Created by Veronica Roth Movie(s) Divergent, The Divergent Series: Insurgent, The Divergent Series: Ascendant Character(s) Beatrice Prior, Tobias Eaton, Christina (Divergent), Peter Hayes, Caleb Prior, Marcus Eaton, Tori Wu, Jeanine Matthews, Natalie Prior, Eric Coulter