Big news for readers looking forward to the book-to-film adaptation of Veronica Roth’s Divergent. Shailene Woodley is nearing a deal to play the lead character of Tris!
The film will be directed by Neil Burger, and Summit Entertainment is behind the project. Deadline broke the news of Woodley’s deal. Just last week we told you the actress was up for the role of Mary Jane in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Divergent hits theaters March 21, 2014. The story has a similar vibe to The Hunger Games and for that reason should do well in that market. The story follows Tris, who lives in a future Chicago that is separated in five factions in order to stabilize society. At age 16 each citizen must choose a permanent faction. However, for Tris things don’t go as planned, and she has to survive an aggressive and physically demanding initiation. Beatrice Prior must uncover her true hidden strengths and risk her family, her newfound love, and her very own life to defuse a mysterious conspiracy which could change the balance of power forever.
Woodley appeared in 2011’s The Descendants with George Clooney and starred in the ABC Family series The Secret Life of the American Teenager (which was canceled earlier this month). She’ll appear in films White Bird and The Spectacular Now next year.