Veronica Roth clearly wasn’t happy at first with the direction the “Divergent” films took, and the line of disappointment didn’t end with her. When it was clear that “Divergent 4” wouldn’t meet expectations at the box office, the studio pivoted to a TV movie with plans for a subsequent spin-off series. Unfortunately for Lionsgate, that decision wound up angering many of the cast members.
“Last I heard they were trying to make it into a television show. I didn’t sign up to be in a television show,” franchise star Shailene Woodley said in an interview with Screen Rant, stating that she would not reprise her role as Tris if Lionsgate continued with their TV plans. “They haven’t come to us to discuss deals, but if they think they can skimp on actors’ options, they can think again,” the representative of another “Divergent” co-star told The Hollywood Reporter, further showcasing Lionsgate’s mishandling of the series’ conclusion.
Ultimately, Lionsgate scrapped any plans for a finale to the “Divergent” series, and it may have been for the best. In a personal essay published in 2021, Roth detailed the harsh anger pointed her way by the fanbase after publishing the final book in the series. She received numerous death threats and violent messages for ending the novels with Tris’s death, which is something that could’ve resurfaced had the film series ended on a similar note. And while the series could eventually get the reboot treatment, it doesn’t seem likely there will ever be a “Divergent 4.”
