The Divergent series seems to be on its way out.
[dropcap size=small]T[/dropcap]he latest instalment in Veronica Roth’s Divergent series, Allegiant, hit the big screens last week with an underwhelming box-office draw. Combine that with mediocre reviews from critics and fans alike, and you’ve got the perfect makings of a waning franchise that many are ready to bid farewell to.
The Hollywood Reporter delivered the box-office figures from Allegiant’s opening weekend, and while it did take in just over $29 million in North America – even over-taking Disney’s animated hit Zootopia initially – it has quickly fizzled out and fallen behind by leaps and bounds.
To put this into perspective, Allegiant’s predecessor Insurgent took in $52 million in its opening weekend, showing that the third film in the Divergent series has taken in almost half of the amount of the second outing.
Even Insurgent’s box-office draw was not what Lionsgate was hoping for, but Allegiant’s performance is a clear-cut sign that the series is steadily slipping.
After the figures raked up, Allegiant has not done well overseas either, with $54 million internationally, and $84 million globally. A source told The Hollywood Reporter that the figures have given Lionsgate pause, and will effect the budget of the planned 4th film in series, Ascendant.
The budget for the next one will be reduced [compared to the previous film].
According to the source they haven’t said much, but Ascendant is ‘expected to have millions trimmed’ from its final budget, which surely comes as no surprise.
Allegiant is based on Veronica Roth’s third novel of the same name, and follows Tris (Shalene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) as they attempt to escape the wall surrounding Chicago to discover the truth of the world outside. The third book by Roth is being split into two parts, with the second part being made in the aforementioned planned 4th instalement, Ascendant.
Many have claimed that the Divergent series is trying too hard to be like other box-office success stories like the Hunger Games franchise, with the Rotten Tomatoes critic consensus stating they have simply been experiencing:
a sense of growing boredom with a franchise that’s gone on too long.
Ouch.
Its become somewhat of a trend to try to stretch out a film series by splitting stories into two or more parts – the Twilight and Hunger games series are both culprits of this fashion, and even The Hobbit is a prime example. Sometimes it can make the content of the films seem a little on the thin side, which has been one of the main criticisms aimed at Allegiant in various reviews.
It seems the Divergent series may have had its day. While not being the most offensive franchise to grace the big screens in recent years, it just doesn’t appear to have enough going for it to keep the money rolling in. We’ll just have to see how the follow-up film performs next year.
Ascendant, the next planned outing in the Divergent series, is slated for release 9 June, 2017.
