Movie Update: Clip Tomorrow + Insurgent News

There have been a few movie updates (mostly exciting ones!) so I thought I would give you the whole scoop at once, in case you haven’t seen anything yet. So! Three things!

First of all, a clip of the Divergent movie will be premiering tomorrow night on Entertainment Tonight and online at Yahoo Movies! (Check for your local listings here.) Check out a little preview on the Divergent Instagram page here, too: http://instagram.com/Divergent

I’ve seen the clip, and…WELL. You’ll see. It is so good.

Second, Summit Entertainment has set a release date for Insurgent: March 20^th, 2015!

And, while we’re on the topic of that date, let’s get to our third item. Because the hope is that the second movie will come out March 2015, that means that everyone is getting to work pretty much right away. And sadly, since Neil Burger is still working like crazy on Divergent, he won’t be able to direct Insurgent (...unless we clone him using Calvin's Duplicator). He will, however, be sticking around as an executive producer, which is awesome, because Neil is awesome and has taken such good care of this story so far, from what I've seen.

And I can’t wait to see Divergent all put together! Ahh! (Can someone also try to borrow Calvin’s time machine?)

Divergent Official First Look Tease! And National Book Festival Details

There will be some Divergent movie footage featured before the MTV Video Music Awards this Sunday at 8pm ET! The video above is just a little sneak peek.

So excited!

In other, probably less exciting news, I will be at the National Book Festival in Washington D.C. this year on September 21st. More info about what exactly I'll be doing, and when, and where, here: http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/author/veronica_roth

Divergent Movie Stills So Far

In case you missed this yesterday, Entertainment Weekly put up your first look at Theo James as Four in Divergent! I decided to put up all the stills that have been released so far here, but I recommend following the links beneath each image to the original post associated with them, because they all contain interesting/fun information about the movie.

Also, the still photographer for the movie, Jaap Buitendijk, is extremely talented. (And very kind.) Just putting that out there.

 

(Source: EW, image credit: Jaap Buitendijk)

 

 (source: EW, image credit: Jaap Buitendijk)

(source: EW, image credit: Jaap Buitendijk)

Another Divergent Photo: First Jumper!

EW.com has another Divergent photo-- this one of Tris about to take her big jump into the unknown.

See it and some of director Neil Burger's thoughts here!

First Look at the Divergent Movie!

It's a photo from the knife-throwing scene, featuring our Tris!

See it and her comments about the cast and the scene here.

Set Visit (and Uriah Thoughts)!

Full disclosure: as our car approached the set, I turned to my husband and said, "I feel like I'm going to throw up." I mean, I spend most of my time in front of a screen. Set visits to the movie adaptation of the words I scrawled over winter break three years ago were never something I was anticipating. On the way there, I felt totally unprepared for what was coming, and that meant a little bit of nausea.

Spoiler alert: I didn't throw up. Instead, I calmed down, which is better.

Here's the deal: I want your first experience with this stuff, in all its detail, to be as amazing as mine was, so I'm not going to try to capture it all for you here. I'm just going to tell you, generally, what I did and how I reacted to everything. Okay? Okay.

When I first got there, they were setting up to shoot the knife-throwing scene. (What a great day to go, right?) I spent a few seconds marveling at everything, then went back to "video village" (which is where director/producer/etc. types watch the filming on screens in real time, with headphones). 

There, I abruptly got all misty-eyed, because THEY MADE ME A CHAIR. You know, one of those director's chairs, with my name on it. It's weird what kinds of things hit you the hardest in these situations. For me it's usually the little things.

Shortly after that I met the Garrett, Master of Stunts and Fights (that's not his official title, but it's what I now call him in my mind), who told me about developing a particular fighting style for the movie and taught me the Dauntless stance. I even punched a punching bag. And nearly hurt my hand, because I am a marshmallow. (Garrett is not.)

I also got to see the Pit, a train car, and an Abnegation house, about which I can only say: !!! One of the best parts of the day was that I got to meet all the craftsmen who are working on the sets after seeing their impeccable work. I was so impressed with how much effort and thought went into everything I saw, so it was really fantastic to meet the people who were making it happen.

Then the fashion geek (is that a thing? I suspect it is not) inside me freaked out, because COSTUMES. I've been curious to see what they would do with costumes, because creating outfits that are entirely one or two colors is not an easy task, sorry guys. But...damn. Did they do it. I may or may not be planning an elaborate heist in which I sneak into the area after dark and steal some clothes. (Note: that is a joke. *hides heist plans in a drawer*)

After that we returned to the knife-throwing set and I watched the scene...over and over again, because, you know, that's how shooting movies works! Strangely this did not get boring for me (even though I've written that scene from two different POVs and I've probably read it over 100 times), which is a credit to everyone involved with it. I can't say much without spoiling things, but I will say that the scene is very true to the book.

I know you're probably mostly interested in the cast, because that's who you'll actually see on the screen. Let me first say that everyone was so nice, despite the fact that, for the first half of the day, I was too stunned to form coherent sentences. The people I talked to: Shailene Woodley (Tris), Theo James (Four), Jai Courtney (Eric), Christian Madsen (Al), Miles Teller (Peter), Ben Lamb (Edward), Ben Lloyd Hughes (Will), Zoe Kravitz (Christina), Amy Newbold (Molly). Basically, the whole Dauntless gang.

And they were all awesome. What can I tell you? They were all SO GOOD in that scene. Every time! Which is probably why I was able to watch it so many times! Without getting tired of it! Exclamation points!

I feel like the gushing is becoming extreme, so I'm going to cut myself off. Basically, I came away with one thought at the end of the day, which is that this adaptation is incredibly thoughtful, from things like fabric and building materials and light fixtures to directing and casting and acting and script.

I want to say I can't wait until it's in theaters, but I can-- I want to take in as much of this process as I can, because it's amazing and I'm so fortunate to be able to watch it happen.

Now, to address something else-- the issue of Uriah. Some of you may have heard, and some may not, that Uriah won't be cast until the second movie, if we are fortunate enough to make another one. It is understandably disappointing when a favorite character doesn't make it on screen. However, what I do think is encouraging is that the people working on the movie are taking the role of Uriah so seriously and taking so much care to get him right.

And even though the particulars will be a little bit different, we still get the zipline scene, guys! Which I, for one, am really excited to see.

Casting News: Natalie!

Check this out...

What is there to say, really, but: !!!

And !!!

And my fellow Chicagoan, Amy Newbold, was also cast as Molly, Tris's fellow initiate and nemesis (which you may already know, but what you may not know yet is that she is awesome!).

The Divergent movie team has assembled such a talented cast, and taken such care with everything. WHAT A GOOD WEEK.

Casting News: Marcus and Max, Plus Production Officially Begins!

In case you haven't seen this already, two cast members were announced/confirmed today:

Ray Stevenson will be playing Marcus, and Mekhi Phifer will be playing Max!

I'm pretty excited! I think Ray and Mekhi are spot on, great matches for the Marcus and Max in my head.

Also, yes, shooting did in fact BEGIN TODAY.

It still seems so unreal to me that any of this is happening. Every time I experience something that makes it feel more real, I go through this period of shock like I'm the kid in that David After Dentist video:



Amazing.

That is all.

Casting News: FOUR.

In case you haven't seen the news already: Theo James has been cast as Four!

The Divergent facebook page posted my statement, and I'll put it here for you, too (so if it's very official-sounding, that's because...it is official!):

Recently I saw Theo James' screen test with Shailene Woodley, and I was sure within seconds: this was ‘Four,’ no question. Theo is able to capture ‘Four’s’ authority and strength, as well as his depth and sensitivity. He is a perfect match for Shailene’s incredibly strong presence as Tris. I’m thrilled!

And what a wonderful Friday it has been.

Okay, time to get back to work.

Casting News: Tori, Christina, and Caleb!

Yes! I am beyond excited to be able to share this news with you at last!

Maggie Q has been cast as Tori...

Zoe Kravitz has been cast as Christina...

and Ansel Elgort has been cast as Caleb!

They are all extremely talented (not to mention spectacular matches for the characters in my head) and I'm so happy that they're going to be a part of the Divergent movie.

CANNOT. WAIT.

New Year Update

It's been awhile since I posted, mostly because holidays + stomach flu + more holidays + revisions = me not on the Internet very much. It seems like a good time to update you on some things that will be happening in the near future (or all of 2013, really). It's going to be an exciting year, Divergent-style!

So, here we go. The things that will happen this year:

1. Book 3 comes out in the fall! I don't have an official date to share with you, but I will let you know when I get one. This also means that you will find out the title and see the cover this year (obviously), but I'm not sure exactly when, because I have to get the go-ahead from my publisher and they have Plans for all these things.

2. Filming for the Divergent movie will be happening in the spring-- in Chicago! I am beyond happy that this worked out. I love Chicago. I've lived here for most of my life, and the city was obviously a huge inspiration for the books. I can't really express how cool it is that the city represented in the movie will be the actual city that I love. They're also reporting that this could create something like 1,000 local jobs and put some money into the Chicago economy, which makes me extra happy.

Also exciting, on a more personal level? Being in the local news! Check it out: here at the Chicago Tribune and here at NBC Chicago.

3. I have a short story coming out in the anthology Shards and Ashes, edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong, which will be available February 19th. My story is not set in Divergentland, but I had a great experience writing it, and if you want to know more about what it's about, check out the Books page on this blog.

Exciting,  no? That's all I've got for now. I hope you're all having a great start to your 2013.

-V

Movie News: Director and Casting Update!

So.

I wasn't able to discuss this before because it wasn't official, but the Divergent movie adaptation has a director: Neil Burger!

Neil Burger directed The Illusionist and Limitless, both movies that I enjoyed immensely, both visually dynamic and interesting. Soon after the deal was closed I got the opportunity to speak with him on the phone. I was nervous beforehand-- handing over your work for someone else to interpret is always nerve-wracking, and I wasn't sure what to expect.

But by the time I hung up-- an hour and a half later!-- I felt very reassured. Neil knew the books remarkably well, and asked some amazing questions about the world and the story, and generally demonstrated tremendous respect for the books and for my answers.  I actually found myself wishing he had been around while I was writing, to help me think through the particularities of the world of Divergent! I'm sure I would have been more efficient if he had. Like I have before, I'm feeling like my work is in good good hands. (Cue the Allstate logo.)

(allstate.com)

Because I feel so reassured by my experience with Neil and his work, I've felt pretty calm about any and all casting news I've received, knowing that all the people who are working on this movie have a strong vision for it that is grounded in the books.

This leads me into our next piece of news: Shailene Woodley is in final negotiations to play Tris!

From the moment I heard that she was being considered, I have been nothing but enthusiastic.  My priority has always been, first and foremost, that the role of Tris be well-acted, and Shailene has proven how talented she is, as anyone who has seen The Descendants can attest. And physically, what's most important to me, far and away more important than other aspects of her appearance, is that Tris does not look like an action hero-- she looks like a slight person with youthful, delicate features, someone who shocks you with how strong and capable she becomes. To me, that is exactly the look Shailene has, exactly the look I've always had in my mind. From what I've seen, I'm confident she will be able to capture Tris's particular mixture of vulnerability and strength, and that surprising moment when a seemingly unremarkable girl from Abnegation transforms into a powerful yet flawed young woman.

I'm really excited to see what happens next! Can't believe this is actually becoming A Thing That Is Happening!

Movie Update!

Oh hi. Remember when I promised you that I would update you on movie stuff when there was information to update you about? Well, today there was this:

http://www.deadline.com/2012/09/divergent-scheduled-for-march-21-2014/

As with any movie-related thing, I feel that I should help out with interpreting the information since I, too, was helped to interpret the information. Here we go:

What This Does NOT (!) Mean: ALL IS SET IN STONE. Everything will happen exactly as anticipated! Everything in the universe is now in alignment and there will be rainbow glitter fairies floating around my head 24-7! Yay!

As we have learned together over the past few years, my darlings, Hollywood is a little tricksy because there are so many things to get in perfect order in order to make things happen. Nothing is final until your buns are in the movie theater chair. That is why I mostly keep my head down and work on book 3 and sometimes sleep.

What This DOES (!) Mean: We of the Divergent book/movie team are excited, enthusiastic, and have some momentum! Things are looking good, guys. So let's wait and see what happens next. (Possibly with nail biting. And that compulsive knee jiggling I love so much.)

Seriously, though: while not a guarantee (and really, is anything guaranteed in this life except death? WOW why did this blog post take such a morbid turn? I must be tired), this is a great sign and I am very happy about it.

The Real Book-to-Film Process + ComicCon Wonderland + Thoughtful Reflections = This Blog Post

Last week I had the great fortune of traveling to California, where the weather was far nicer than in Chicago, which had turned into an oven in my absence. While I was there I did many things, some of which were meeting the people currently involved in the process of turning Divergent into a movie.

First, I'm going to let you know how this process works, because I had no idea until I got involved in it, and I think there are many misconceptions-- understandable ones, but misconceptions nonetheless. So, here we go:

1. I don't choose the cast.

2. I don't choose the director.

3. I don't write the screenplay.

4. Actually, I don't control anything except who I sell the rights to, and that's already done.

I am in the fortunate position of being fairly well informed about what's going on with the movie. This is due partly to Pouya, "my film rep guy," as I call him, because he is involved on the production side. But unless you are an author who fights hard to get involved in the movie-making, your control over the process will be fairly limited.

And that's kind of how I wanted it. Why? Because I write books. I love writing books and I tend to get annoyed by things that interrupt me from writing books, like the need to sleep and shower and buy groceries. Don't get me wrong, I think movies are great. But unless some huge revelation happens wherein I consider a more varied career path, it's all books, all the time.

So while I do love to hear your casting thoughts, know that I participate in them in much the same way you do: musing and speculation.

And while I certainly understand the "please make sure the movie is like this or that" comments (because it's okay to get attached, and to want things to remain intact), know that I can't make sure the movie is like this or that. All I can do is, like you, place my trust in the people who are making it.

BUT if you read on, that might sound less scary to you. It certainly feels less scary to me.

Two days before my ComicCon adventure, I was fortunate enough to have breakfast with Doug Wick, who owns Red Wagon and has done many amazing, impressive things in the realm of film production, all of which made me a teensy bit afraid to meet him. However, Doug is the sort of person who makes you feel very much at ease. My fear was gone within three minutes of having breakfast, and then we just chatted for an hour or so, sometimes about the book and sometimes not. When we did talk about the book, Doug was very enthusiastic and specific about what he liked, which I always, always appreciate. Basically, I learned that Doug is like the Allstate Insurance of production company guys.

Basically, it was a fantastic experience.

Which leads me to part 2 of this little blog adventure: ComicCon.

ComicCon = Insanity.

My day began with a press conference and transitioned into several interviews, some of which were with some of the Divergent fansites! I haven't had much time to do interviews lately, so having them built into the time I had set aside for ComicCon was great. And I got to chat with some of the people who have been supporting Divergent! Sweet.

Then we got to wander the ComicCon floor. I saw so many things. I saw a man dressed in a very sophisticated Ghost Busters costume. I saw Harry Potter walking around with Bellatrix Lestrange (someone yelled, "Harry, watch out! Bellatrix is right behind you!" Oh, the nerdery. I love it). I found Waldo. I found him again. I saw too much of one girl's butt cheeks. I saw a bunch of Trekkies. And this was all in the half-hour that I was able to stand the huge, intense crowds inside that building. Then I had to leave, because I was feeling a little faint. I am just not built for being around that many people at once.

There was a signing (I met some of you there, I'm sure! Always great to sign books, especially at such a huge Nerdfest), and then, I met more people.

Such as: Gillian and Jeyun of Summit Entertainment. Gillian is the one actually handling all the Divergentness, so it was fun to talk to her about it, and hear her thoughts. And then, what I was most nervous about: meeting Evan Daugherty. Screenwriter.

(Ignore my red eye of doom.)

As his posture suggests, Evan is a chill dude. He also likes Divergent. Now, that may seem obvious to you (why would he want to write the screenplay if he didn't like Divergent?) but that's not necessarily obvious-- people do things for plenty of reasons, not all of them genuine affection. This very much reassured me.

Evan also told me that he has been to ComicCon before...as a fan. Several times. And we both love Star Wars. Should I bring out the Allstate picture again?

Also, for those of you who are still concerned, I am in touch with everyone I met, in case they have questions about Divergent. (Actually, I think I'm supposed to be drawing a map of Dauntless headquarters to make it easier to visualize.) So even though I say I'm not in control, I will be involved when people ask me to be involved, and in the way I like to be involved-- when it's very much about the book.

I was also fortunate enough to meet Erik Feig, president of acquisitions and production at Summit, who was enthusiastic and friendly and not at all a "Hollywood Dude" (I have this Hollywood Dude caricature in my head-- he's very slick and tan and not all that genuine. Total opposite of Erik Feig. Except Erik might have been tan-- it was too dark for me to tell conclusively. But, whatever. People are allowed to be tan).

I met a lot of other people, too, and I will probably kick myself for not telling you about all of them as time goes on. But let me just say that my day at ComicCon confirmed a few things for me:

I have tried hard from the beginning to find good people. I believe that good people, who work hard because they love something and not out of selfish ambition, are the best people to surround yourself with. That way, even if everything goes wrong, you feel satisfied, because you know that everyone failed doing what they love, and working as hard as they could. Luckily I found Joanna, my agent, and she connected me with other good people, including Pouya and Molly, my editor. And Pouya went out and found me some really solid individuals on the film side, as I have now confirmed myself. So often I find that people are not authentic. I am fortunate enough to have good radar for that. And even though I try not to discard people who are not authentic-- because everyone has a lot to learn, and is in a different stage of that learning-- I also know where to put my trust.

Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox, but my adventures at ComicCon made me feel good about where I had put my trust. Making movies is complicated, and I am a defensive pessimist by nature, so I'm not letting myself get too excited. But I believe things have gotten off to a good start.