While Jeremy Irvine, Lucas Till and Alex Pettyfer were testing for the coveted (?) male lead in “Divergent,” and certainly have more name recognition than the eventual winner, it seems their talents didn’t quite match what the filmmakers were looking for. Instead, rising Brit actor Theo James has gotten the gig, in what he likely hopes will be a push into the stateside scene.
The actor has had bit parts on Woody Allen‘s “You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger” and “Downton Abbey,” appeared in the smash hit “The Inbetweeners Movie” and “Underworld: Awakening,” but most vitally, he’s got a regular role on the CBS series “Golden Boy.” Anyway, he’ll be playing Four, in the futuristic story where people are divided into distinct factions based on their personalities. Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) is warned she is Divergent and will never fit into any one group, and when she discovers a conspiracy to destroy all Divergents, she must find out what makes being Divergent so dangerous before it’s too late. Four is Tris’ instructor, and one of the leaders of the Dauntless faction.
THR notes that additional folks Aaron Eckhart, Miles Teller and Ray Stevenson “are in the process” of joining the cast that also includes Kate Winslet and Jai Courtney. We didn’t read the book, so you’ll have to tell us if this casting makes sense. Production begins in April with Neil Burger directing, and the film is slated to try and capture the YA crown on March 21, 2014.