With pre-production expected to begin soon on Summit's feature adaptation of Divergent and the female lead already cast, fans of the Veronica Roth's young-adult novel are likely anxiously awaiting word on confirmation for the male lead. Right now, it's looking like Alex Pettyfer, Jeremy Irvine and Lucas Till are among the contenders for the part.
Just last week, we shared an update on the status of Divergent, which is expected to arrive in 2014 and will star Shailene Woodley as lead character Beatrice "Tris" Prior. The movie is confirmed to film in Chicago, which is where the story takes place - or rather, the story takes place in a futuristic/dystopian version of Chicago, where people are broken into five factions determined by their way of life. The story follows Tris as she chooses her faction and begins the training process in the hopes of securing a spot among them. Neil Burger will direct the adaptation, based on a script written by Evan Daugherty.
Variety posted word that Pettyfer, Irvine and Till are all reading for the male lead later this week. They don't mention the character by name, but I'm assuming they're referring to Four, Tris' instructor during her faction training. The book is told from Tris' perspective, and there are a few male characters, but Four is featured most prominently as Tris forms a connection with him during her training.
Of the three men reportedly in contention for the role, Pettyfer may be the most recognizable, with recent credits that include Magic Mike, In Time, Beastly and I Am Number Four. I'm not sure I picture him as Four, to be honest, though with darker hair and a few face piercings, it might be interesting to see him take on the part of Eric, one of the leaders of Tris' faction.
It sounds like Till may have the edge on the other two actors, as Variety's sources say he's already tested for the part. Among Till's credits are Battle Los Angeles and X-Men: First Class, in which he played Havok. British actor Jeremy Irvine's credits include War Horse and the role of Pip in Mike Newell's Great Expectations. All three actors turn twenty-three this year, so they're on even footing as far as their age goes.
We'll keep you posted on updates for the film. In the meantime, if you haven't already and you're a fan of young-adult dystopian stories, Divergent is worth a read. There's also talk of a possible video game based on the story.
