Hollywood is buzzing about Divergent, director Neil Burger’s take on Veronica Roth’s popular 2011 science fiction novel.
Set in a post-apocalyptic Chicago, where the population is divided into classes based on personality, Divergent stars Kate Winslet, Shailene Woodley, Maggie Q, Mekhi Phifer, Jai Courtney and 29-year-old U.K. heartthrob Theo James. The movie hits theaters across the U.S. on Mar. 21.
Some observers are comparing to the Hunger Games series of movies. Roth has penned two other Divergent novels, giving producer Lionsgate (LGF) the opportunity to create a franchise.
Here’s what critics are saying about Divergent:
- “Director Neil Burger has crafted a popcorn flick that’s leaner, more propulsive and more satisfying than the bestseller that inspired it.” — Michael O’Sullivan, Washington Post
- “Neil Burger keeps you invested, staging a rise-of-the-savior-heroine plot so that it seems less ritualistic than it does in the Hunger Games films.” — Owen Gleiberman, EW
- “Burger must fight against a script, by Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor , that is larded with too much exposition to really get moving.” — Sean P. Means, The Salt Lake Tribune
Here’s what they are saying about Theo James’ performance:
- “Theo James, the Brit actor who played the Turk who died scandalously in Lady Mary’s bed on Downton Abbey, is a tall drink of glowering sexuality as Four, her partner in dangerous personality traits.” — Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
- “James is a real find … he has a real presence on screen … and — in spite of his model looks — manages to make Four feel like real person.” — Mark Meszoros, News-Herald
- “He’s a big asset to this narratively jumbled movie – Hollywood has a horrifyingly unerring instinct for putting androgynous dweebs in roles like this, but James, with his deep voice, five-o-clock shadow and casual authority, does strong and silent convincingly well.” — Gary Thompson, Philly.com
LGF stock was down more than 3% in Friday mid-day trading.
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