The Insurgent movie will not be directed by Divergent helmer Neil Burger.
Variety broke the news Monday evening but did not cite a reason for Burger not returning. They do say that the production will begin in the spring to meet the March 2015 release date.
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UPDATE (12/17): Summit has released a statement about the news and reveals Burger will serve as an executive producer on Insurgent. “Neil Burger is a rock star and he is doing a fantastic job on Divergent,” they write. “We can’t wait for you to see the film. But as amazing as Neil is he still cannot be in two places at once and thus needs to finish post production on Divergent while we gear up to start production on Insurgent. So, although Neil will continue on as part of our Divergent family as an executive producer, we sadly have to find another director for the next chapter in Veronica Roth’s fantastic series.”
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It’s too early to tell if this is good or bad news for the franchise going forward. If Divergent is perfect, fans will be disappointed that Burger is not returning. If it’s not good, they’ll be happy someone new is coming on board.
Burger recently hosted a live chat on YouTube with fans of the series following the release of the theatrical trailer. We noticed he was engaging and entertaining.
Catching Fire infamously lost Gary Ross due to a tight production schedule that The Hunger Games helmer didn’t want to work with. It ended up being great news for the franchise because critics and fans alike adored the second movie directed by Francis Lawrence when it hit theaters last month. Lawrence will also direct Mockingjay parts 1 and 2.
Earlier this evening we told you that Summit has set a March 2016 release date for Allegiant. Meanwhile, the first Divergent movie opens March 21, 2014.
Is Neil Burger leaving good or bad news in your opinion?
Thanks, Variety.
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