Theo James And Shailene Woodley Are Done With ‘Divergent’ Franchise Despite New Epilogue

The fate of the final Divergent film is now murkier after Theo James confirmed that he’s quitting the franchise. Earlier this year, it was announced that the fourth and final film, The Divergent Series: Ascendant, would be re-positioned as a television film. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, the British actor said he wouldn’t be involved anymore in the franchise.

“No, I won’t be a part of that. It’s a shame not to finish the last movie, but I think the studio wanted to take it into a different area, and it’s evolving into something that I don’t think I’ll be part of.”

Apart from not having a theatrical release, it is believed that a television spinoff might emerge. Before Theo’s revelation, his co-star Shailene Woodley already expressed disinterest to be a part of the final film. ­

The Fault in Our Stars actress told Toronto Sun that it was probably not a great move for Lionsgate to divide Allegiant into two films because “there’s not enough content” in the book. While she believes that the studio is eager to replicate the success of the Twilight franchise, splitting Allegiant into two does not necessarily give the cast members more breathing room.

Even Miles Teller previously said that the cast members had been blindsided and although they “had every intention of finishing the franchise,” what they signed up for was a theatrical release. While he understands that Lionsgate is not ready to again face losses following the unsatisfactory box office results of the last Divergent film, he worries that the re-positioning might mess up the story.

The succeeding part of the story contains spoilers.

Meanwhile, Veronica Roth recently announced that she’d release an epilogue to Tris and Four’s story. Fans who have finished the books know that Tris and Four were not able to get their happy ending after Tris sacrificed herself to save everyone. Caleb was supposed to be the sacrificial lamb, but in the end, Tris took her brother’s place. Many were disheartened that Veronica opted to end the story that way, but for the author, the conclusion was meaningful.

The bestselling author said that the new story, We Can Be Mended, will show a glimpse of what happened to Four five years after the death of his beloved. It will give readers the opportunity to find out what Four did after Tris’ ultimate sacrifice.

“I’ve always said that the Divergent series felt complete to me, but a little while ago I realized there was still some of the story that I had left untold. I wrote something just for myself about what Tobias had been up to.”

However, We Can Be Mended will only be given to fans who will pre-order Veronica’s new book Carve the Mark.

Filming for the final Divergent film was supposed to start this year, but according to Miles, they still haven’t received the green light. With Shailene and Theo’s announcements, Lionsgate might want to reconsider its plans. Shailene and Theo appear to be preoccupied with their individual projects too.

Theo just completed filming for Underworld: Blood Wars in which he was the one who did most of his stunts. He similarly addressed the recurring news of his engagement to long-time girlfriend Ruth Kearney.

“I was never engaged,” he told ET. Theo and Ruth have been dating for years way before the Divergent franchise started. The couple makes it a point to keep their romance private, but they are likewise unafraid to be photographed during vacations. Despite allegations that Theo and Shailene are secretly dating, the two maintain that they are nothing but friends.

[Featured Image by Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images]