It looks as though filming for ‘Divergent' is expected to stay in Georgia for a while.
Lionsgate has announced that they will be splitting the final book, Allegiant of the Divergent series into two movies.
The first Divergent made $139 million dollars worldwide featuring Shailene Woodley. Lionsgate CEO announced that he planned to continue the series. “We're confident that ‘Divergent' is on its way to becoming another important franchise for us, and we have just greenlit the second film, ‘Insurgent,'” said Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer.
‘Divergent' was filmed in Chicago, Illinois but, after the success of novel turned movie, producers have decided to move filming to Atlanta, Georgia.
“The Illinois incentive was designed for good reason: to maximize the utilization of local businesses, performers and crew. But true enough, it's not the biggest incentive out there. Lionsgate also shot ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' in Atlanta. They're very familiar with the location and the benefits of Georgia's film incentive. Many factors played into their decision, but ultimately, they felt Atlanta was a good fit for the sequel.[Chicago Tribune]”
Producers were not surprised at the success of Divergent and plan to continue in the same format as ‘The Hunger Games'
The fourth film will open on March 24, 2017. Lionsgate vice chairman Michael Burns made the announcement Friday on CNBC.
The move was not a surprise. Burns told Variety last month, “Assuming the movie works as we expect, we like the idea of a ‘Divergent' film every March to complement our ‘Hunger Games' films every November.”
“Divergent” was produced for $85 million and greenlit in December 2012 with Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher of Red Wagon producing. Neil Burger directed the tale of a dystopian Chicago in the 22nd Century.
What do you think of Divergent feature film series splitting the final book into two movies? Do you think the extended filming schedule will benefit Atlanta, Georgia and Divergent fans? Share with us your thoughts below!
