Everything We Know About Allegiant

Maria Violet anticipates the final episode of the Divergent series.

For months now, fans of the Divergent YA novel series have been anxiously lying in wait for the release of the first of two final instalments of the blockbuster films, Allegiant. While we’re sure to witness plenty of explosive action scenes and other elements of dystopian suspense, it remains to be seen whether or not film-makers will stay true to Veronica Roth’s fictional narrative or stray into unknown territory a la the previous trilogy release, Insurgent. Let’s take a closer look at what audiences might be in for, but be warned: spoilers ahead.

Maintaining the precedent set by other popular literature-based motion picture franchises (Harry Potter, The Hunger Games) the Divergent finale is split into two films. In Allegiant: Part 1 we pick up right in the midst of Insurgent’s inferno. Tris, and all the other residents of Chicago have been part of a social experiment conducted by the government, which is trying to produce more “Divergents.” Tris and Four, played by series stars Shailene Woodley and Theo James, decide that in order to bring peace to their city they must travel outside its walls. Out beyond ‘safety’, they’re forced to confront the stark reality of their situation and test both their mental and physical strength in battle.

Entering here, we can assume that, at least to begin, the first Allegiant movie will stay true to Roth’s 2013 Allegiant novel. It’s also been made clear by director Robert Schwentke, who directed Insurgent, that Allegiant will be clearly based on the first half of the novel of the same name.

Knowing this, there’s still one key detail from the end of that book that probably won’t make it into the first Allegiant movie: the death of Tris. The final part of the film series, Ascendant, is set to premiere on June 9, 2017. If the franchise’s main protagonist is killed off before the (final) finale hits theatres, fans will be horrified and confused — how can the next movie work without Tris in the picture? If she does meet her end in Allegiant, then the character of Tris will certainly be incorporated into the plot line of Ascendant via dream sequences, flashbacks or another form of cinematic trickery.

It’s more likely that Tris will live to see the end of the first finale instalment. There’s already some proof of this in other details that have been leaked about the film – for example, there is said to be a heavy focus on the leaders behind the Bureau of Genetic Testing. It seems that David and Matthew will be significant characters in this movie and will take up quite a bit of screen time, leaving less room for a build up to Tris making the ultimate sacrifice. Also, if the part of the Allegiant story where Tris and Four temporarily split makes it into the movie, this romantic hiccough will probably be dramatized more than it was in the novel. This would also take up too much time to allow for such a devastating event as the death of Tris.

Aside from this, the clips of Allegiant that have been released so far, show that many elements of the book don’t appear to be in the movie. For instance, there’s no sight of Four’s parents, which is a major oversight as they play a major part in the narrative of the literary series. It’s hard to believe that they won’t appear at all in Allegiant, but it would make sense for them to have a diminished role in the first finale instalment and then become more prominent in Ascendant. After all, there’s only so much drama and action that can be packed into a 121 minute film.

Carrying the weight of a collapsing world on their shoulders, the teens in this series share many of the hopes and dreams with today’s young people. The first Divergent series films (check here for local listings) are worth a revisit before heading to theatres to check out Allegiant Part 1. From everything that’s been revealed about the newest instalment in the franchise, it’s clear that Allegiant will be every bit as entertaining as its predecessors and set the stage perfectly for next year’s dramatic conclusion.