The Divergent Series: Allegiant (simply known as Allegiant) is a 2016 American dystopian science fiction action film directed by Robert Schwentke with a screenplay by Bill Collage, Adam Cooper, and Noah Oppenheim. It is the third and final film in The Divergent Series. It was set to be the first of two cinematic parts based on the 2013 novel Allegiant of the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth (the second cinematic part was to be named Ascendant).
The film stars Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Jeff Daniels, Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, Zoë Kravitz, Maggie Q, Ray Stevenson, Bill Skarsgård, Octavia Spencer, and Naomi Watts. Set in a post-apocalyptic and dystopian Chicago, the story follows Tris Prior, her boyfriend Four, and their small group of friends escaping over the wall that encloses the city. Once outside, they discover new truths that will shift their alliances and introduce new threats.
Principal photography primarily took place in Atlanta, Georgia, from May 2015 until August that same year. The film was initially titled The Divergent Series: Allegiant – Part 1. In September 2015, Part 1 was renamed Allegiant and Part 2 was renamed Ascendant. Allegiant was released on March 18, 2016 by Lionsgate under the Summit Entertainment label in theaters and IMAX. The film received generally negative reviews from critics, who criticized the visual effects, lack of originality, character development and the decision to split the film into two parts. The film was a box-office disappointment, grossing $179 million worldwide against its estimated budget of $110–142 million, making it the lowest-grossing film in The Divergent Series. Following budget cuts, a theatrical release of Ascendant was dropped in favor of reconfiguring the project as a TV film for Starz, to be followed by a spinoff series. Both projects were later canceled, effectively ending the franchise.
Plot
Evelyn re-closes Chicago's wall, and puts Jeanine's supporters on trial for plotting a coup. Johanna turns her back on this and is followed by many newly christened Allegiants. Tris and Four free Caleb and escape over the wall with Tori, Christina, and Peter. Edgar leads Factionless guards to catch them, killing Tori.
Edgar catches them in the wastelands, but a group of soldiers with advanced technology rescues the group. They are taken to a city of advanced technology, hidden behind a cloaking shield and serving as the headquarters of the Bureau of Genetic Welfare.
The Bureau's leader, David, explains that society tried to fix human problems through genetic tampering, sparking the Purity Wars that ravaged the planet. The Bureau has been experimenting on people to develop individuals with a naturally pure genome in isolated, ruined cities. Tris is the first genetically pure individual to achieve the desired outcome.
Caleb and Peter monitor Chicago remotely, while Christina and Four train with Nita. Matthew brings Tris to David, the Bureau leader, who gives her a device to view her mother's memories. She learns her mother was rescued as a child and volunteered for the Chicago experiment. Caleb warns Four and Tris about the conflict between Allegiants and Factionless. Tris agrees to help David with the experiment if he asks the council to intervene.
During a military rescue mission to a wasteland village, Four realizes that the Bureau is kidnapping children and wiping their memories. He attempts to warn Tris of the Bureau's intentions, but David interrupts them. Four urges Tris to return with him to end the bloodshed, but she decides to go with David, who agrees to return Four to Chicago with Matthew and some Bureau soldiers.
On the way, Matthew warns Four that David ordered his death. Four kills the soldiers, but the transport crashes. Matthew gives him a device to pass through the cloaking shield as he returns to the Bureau and warns Tris. Disagreeing with the council, Tris states that the pure-versus-damaged divide is no better than the Chicago Factions. She criticizes them for not stopping the violence. The council reveals that David has full authority over Chicago and intends to reinforce the Factions.
Tris ends her partnership with David and gathers Caleb and Christina in his hovercar to return to Chicago. Nita helps them escape, revealing David's unpopularity with the Bureau. The Factionless capture Four, who confronts Evelyn about the violence. Tris, Caleb, and Christina arrive to find the city in chaos during an Allegiant assault. At the Bureau, David makes a deal with Peter to promote him and gain access to Chicago, convincing Evelyn to use a hidden stockpile of amnesia gas to erase all factions' memories and create peace. She agrees, and Peter takes her to the vault.
Four, Tris and Christina fight through the Factionless and arrive at the vault. Four convinces Evelyn to stop the gas attack, as he would not remember her. She capitulates, but a frustrated Peter shoots her in the leg, gloating until the same gas starts flooding the vault. Realizing David has betrayed him, Peter opens the vault so Tris and Four can stop the gas. Peter flees back towards the Bureau, though Four vows to find and kill him.
Caleb arrives and helps Tris destroy the gas dispersion hub. The group gathers atop the Erudite building as it watches David's hovercar autopilot back towards the Bureau. Tris transmits a message to the world, revealing the Bureau's existence and that Chicago was an experiment in genetic purity. Her message tells the Bureau that Chicago is no longer their experiment. Caleb then detonates the explosives they loaded into the hovercar, disrupting the cloaking shield and revealing the Bureau to the world.
Cast
Shailene Woodley as Tris, a Divergent and former Dauntless member Theo James as Four, a former Dauntless instructor and Tris' boyfriend Jeff Daniels as David, head of the Bureau of Genetic Welfare, an advanced city formed outside of Chicago Miles Teller as Peter Ansel Elgort as Caleb, Tris' brother Zoë Kravitz as Christina, Tris' best friend Maggie Q as Tori, former Dauntless Ray Stevenson as Marcus Mekhi Phifer as Max, former Dauntless Leader Daniel Dae Kim as Jack Kang Bill Skarsgård as Matthew, a member of the Bureau of Genetic Welfare who later sides with Tris and Four Octavia Spencer as Johanna, former Amity Leader Naomi Watts as Evelyn, Four's mother and the leader of Factionless Rebecca Pidgeon as Sarah Xander Berkeley as Phillip Keiynan Lonsdale as Uriah Jonny Weston as Edgar, Evelyn's Factionless second in command Nadia Hilker as Nita Andy Bean as Romit Zeeko Zaki as Factionless Squad Leader
Production Development Initially intended as a single film based on Allegiant, the producers of The Divergent Series later decided to adapt the novel into two films, similar to what has been done with other young adult novel series adapted into films. The two proposed films were originally titled Allegiant — Part One and Allegiant — Part Two; this was later dropped in favor of assigning the films unique names (Allegiant and Ascendant, respectively).
By March 2015, all of the series cast members had confirmed their involvement, with newcomers Jeff Daniels and Bill Skarsgård added to the cast that April and May, respectively.
Filming Filming began on May 18, 2015, in Atlanta, Georgia, and concluded on August 23, 2015. From June 11 to June 23, filming took place at the Lindale Mill in Lindale, Georgia, where the set was being built in late May.
Music In December 2015, it was confirmed that Joseph Trapanese would return to compose the score for the film. The first track for the Allegiant soundtrack, "Scars", written by Tove Lo, Jakob Jerlström, Ludvig Söderberg, and performed by Tove Lo, was released as a single on February 19, 2016.
Promotion A teaser trailer was released on September 15, 2015, followed by a full-length trailer two months later, on November 12, 2015. Another full-length trailer was released on January 22, 2016.
Reception
Box office Allegiant grossed $66.2 million in North America and $113.1 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $179 million.
In the United States and Canada, the film was projected to gross around $28–30 million in its opening weekend from 3,740 theaters, which would make it the lowest opening among the franchise. It earned the lowest previews among the series, with $2.35 million from 2,800 theaters. On its opening day, it made $11.9 million (including previews), down 43.6% from Insurgent, becoming the first film in the series to fail to open with over $20 million. Scott Mendelson of Forbes compared the decline in opening day to the third installment of The Chronicles of Narnia film series, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which had a similar amount of drop. In comparison, the third Hunger Games film, Mockingjay – Part 1, fell only 21% from its previous film. In its opening weekend, the film grossed $29 million from 3,740 theaters, finishing second at the box office behind Zootopia. It was the first film of the franchise not to finish in first at the box office, and its opening was 46% below Divergents and 44% behind Insurgents. Lionsgate president of domestic distribution Richard Fay labeled the opening "pretty solid". As a result of the poor opening, Lionsgate's stock fell the next day, on Monday. Due to Allegiant'''s poor box-office resulting in Lionsgate's stock declining 3.3% by 72 cents to $21.13 in trading, Moody's Investors Service lowered Lionsgate's Speculative Grade Liquidity rating from SGL-2 to SGL-3.The Divergent Series: Allegiant also struggled internationally where Lionsgate does not have operations in most countries and sells distribution rights to partners. It opened in 45 international markets a week ahead of its US debut, from March 9, and will receive a scattered release worldwide. Unlike its predecessor Insurgent, Lionsgate decided not to have a day and date release for Allegiant, instead intending to take advantage of various school holidays in international markets, and at the same time avoid competition with Walt Disney's animated Zootopia. Allegiant took the top spot in its opening day in France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden. In its opening weekend, it earned $25.2 million from over 7,000 screens in 45 countries. It added 32 markets in its second weekend, earning a total of $22 million from 77 countries, which is down 13%. The top openings were in France ($5 million), Brazil ($2.7 million), the United Kingdom and Ireland ($2.6 million), Mexico ($2.5 million). In the United Kingdom, it posted the lowest opening in the series, opening at No. 2 behind Kung Fu Panda 3 including previews, which is 37% behind the opening of Insurgent. It had a very unsuccessful opening in South Korea with $523,000 from 392 screens. In China, it opened in third place behind The Angry Birds Movie and Captain America: Civil War with $10.8 million. As a result, it helped the film cross the $100 million mark internationally and immediately became the film's second biggest market behind Italy only. In terms of total earnings, its largest markets are China ($18.7 million), France ($15.1 million), followed by Brazil ($6.9 million), the U.K. ($6.5 million), Russia ($6 million) and Spain ($5.1 million).