‘Divergent’ Taps ‘Age of Adaline’ Director for Final Sequel ‘Ascendant’

A few weeks back, Divergent series director Robert Schwentke abruptly dropped out of the final sequel, Ascendant, a little over a month before the latest installment hits theaters. With Allegiant on the horizon and one more Divergent sequel to go, Lionsgate has quickly found Schwentke’s replacement in Age of Adaline director Lee Toland Krieger.

Per Variety, Krieger has signed on to replace Schwentke at the helm of Ascendant, the final installment in the Divergent franchise, which (following recent franchise tradition) split the last book in the series into two films. Krieger is a pretty great acquisition for Ascendant, having previously helmed the surprisingly poignant Age of Adaline for Lionsgate — seriously, if you thought it took Star Wars to finally get Harrison Ford to wake up from his decades-long nap, then you must have been sleeping on Age of Adaline.

Krieger made his feature debut with 2009’s The Vicious Kind, a simple-yet-effective, dark romantic drama starring Adam Scott and Brittany Snow. He followed that up with Rashida Jones’ Celeste and Jesse Forever, and showcased more of his dynamic dramatic range with Age of Adaline in 2015. To be honest, Krieger’s hiring feels more beneficial to the Divergent franchise, but a big-budget blockbuster could open some additional doors for us to see even more work from Krieger.

Allegiant hits theaters on March 18, with Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ansel Elgort and Miles Teller reprising their roles for the next chapter in the Divergent series. Ascendant is currently set for a June 9, 2017 release.