If you are not of the YA set and have never heard of Neil Burger’s Divergent before the teaser trailer surfaced several days ago, fear not, because the cast and creators of the film are here to explain you a thing.
This isn’t The Hunger Games. Oh no, this isn’t The Host. Or Twilight. Or Harry Potter. And don’t you dare compare it to Mortal Instruments: City of Bones: Bonetropolis: Thunderbone. Divergent is based on a YA novel by Veronica Roth, set in the wondrous dystopian future Chicago (they don’t all have to be mystical lands), where society is now divided into five factions based on your personality.
But then there’s Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley), who is categorized as “divergent” – meaning she can’t be put in one of your societal boxes, man. And that makes her a threat. Check out the featurette for yourself:
Why splitting humans into five factions based on personality traits helps society function is still largely unexplained (they mention years of war, but not what led them to this conclusion), but it’s a fascinating concept that the actors interviewed – like Maggie Q and Kate Winslet – are clearly excited about. Is it too much to ask though, that we have a YA novel-turned-movie about a kickass girl that doesn’t involve her risking it all for love, too?
Divergent is in theaters March 21st, 2014.
