Today, Summit has unveiled a second (first full-length, if you want to get technical) trailer for their upcoming Hunger Games-esque hopeful, Divergent, a potential franchise-starter adapted from the bestselling series by Veronica Roth.
Divergent takes place in a futuristic dystopia where people are divided into five factions based on different virtues. When Beatrice ‘Tris’ Prior (Shailene Woodley) comes of age and takes a challenging aptitude test to determine her place, she is shocked to learn that she is ‘divergent,’ possessing traits that prevent her from fitting neatly into a single faction. Tris finds her life in jeopardy after she uncovers a wide-reaching government conspiracy to eliminate people of her kind.
The trailer, which you can check out below, does a solid job of blending Divergent‘s action-heavy premise with its teen-friendly, romantic aspects. It also takes the time to flesh out the film’s high-concept premise:
This trailer makes a much stronger case for Divergent than the last one that we saw, which hurried through exposition to showcase a compilation of physical challenges that Tris faces throughout the film. Instead, this one focuses more on plot while introducing an intriguing cast of supporting characters.
Kate Winslet appears as the villainous leader of Erudite, a faction devoted to knowledge. She represents a major threat to Tris; having developed and popularized the aptitude test, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to eliminate any individuals the test fails to classify. Theo James plays Four, the handsome commander of new recruits to Dauntless (a faction devoted to bravery), who falls for Tris after she joins Dauntless in order to hide from authorities.
Divergent also co-stars Maggie Q, Zoe Kravitz, Miles Teller, Tony Goldwyn, Jai Courtney, Ashley Judd, Ray Stevenson, Ansel Elgort and Mekhi Phifer. Neil Burger (Limitless) directs from a script by Evan Daughtery and Vanessa Taylor.
Divergent‘s strong cast and compelling premise give me hope that this movie will be more than just another generic teen property attempting to capitalize on the success of The Hunger Games. Summit has a lot riding on Divergent, and they appear to have provided a considerable budget to ensure that the film’s action sequences are just as breathtaking as those described in Roth’s novel.
Tell us, are you excited to see Divergent? Sound off in the comments section!
Divergent opens in IMAX on March 21st, 2014.
