“I’ve never read a script before. I was really impressed by how closely it stuck to the general plot line of the book,” she said when asked what her first reactions were.
“It’s really interesting to see how the actual actor relationships reflect the character relationships. All the young initiates have a great comrade with each other.”
“everyone seems really positive and pumped up and excited to figure out the details of this crazy world.”
“I would be a little disappointed if it was exactly how I pictured [the characters] because there’s then no re-interpretation, no new discovery. What I was most concerned about when they were casting was finding actors who could capture the internal world of the characters as opposed to exactly matching the description that I wrote. And in that sense I think it’s been really amazing because when I was watching them act I was like, ‘Yes. This is the person, you did such a great job.’ So even with people I was on the fence with, I was really swayed – at least by the end of the day.”
“I was worried that the overall visual sense of the movie would be a little too futuristic/sexy? Like really sleek, shiny. That’s not the world of Divergent,” she told us. “Everything’s falling apart [in the book], and I think [Neil] definitely did that. The visuals I’ve seen have been in that vein, and that’s been really exciting.”
“Everything down to the little details that I saw have been so well thought out. Like, the philosophy of the world. He and I talked for hours – he asked me so many questions, things I never thought of. Like, ‘How’s commerce work in this particular faction?’ I was like, ‘I don’t know! Where were you when I was writing this?!’ So those conversations were really reassuring because he’s been so interested in every little thing.
While Roth admitted she was “definitely concerned” about the age gap between Woodley (21 years old) and James (28), once she saw them together she knew everything would be alright. “Seeing them all together, they definitely look younger than you think,” she told us. “I’m really happy with the maturity of the actors.”
James’ age clearly didn’t affect Roth’s thoughts on his portrayal at all. Despite the 10 year age gap between the actor and character, he was Roth’s first pick when asked which star closest matched her vision. James was followed by Maggie Q who plays Tori. “I’ve seen her on Nikita. She’s a badass, she’s already Dauntless, it’s all there.”
“Shailene brings reality. Tris is an impetus 16 year old. She makes – she has kind of a harsh personality with some vulnerability. And I think all of the shades of what Tris is, is what Shailene is able to do. Just in very small moments too, they’re pretty subtle. Even though she’s not a tiny blonde girl, she just IS this character. She seems like a real person who’s actually having these struggles which has been – I wasn’t that surprised because I saw her in The Descendants, but.. I just didn’t think anyone would be able to do it because Tris is so dear to me.”
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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.
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*)
On not casting Uriah: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!
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.
So, I’m going to say something to you, but I’m going to preface it with these caveats:
A. Remember: this is just a tiny step in the giant staircase of book-making.
B. Book publishing is a long process, only a portion of which depends on me and my progress. See this post for clarification.
With that said: I finished the rough draft of book 3 on Saturday! And this is pretty much how my celebration went.
Stage One: Confusion
Wait. Did I just finish?
Stage Two: Tentative Excitement
I think perhaps I did.
Stage Three: Wild Flailing of Arms
Stage Four: Triumph and Pride
VOILA. THERE IT IS.
Stage Five: Reality Check
Wait, but there are so many things to fix.
Stage Six: Exasperated Sigh
Stage Seven: Coping
…I don’t have a gif for this. All I did was decide to take a few days off before tackling the first round of edits.
Wait, I do have another gif:
Bonus Stage: Realizing that for the next few weeks you are THE ONLY PERSON ON THE PLANET WHO KNOWS WHAT HAPPENS IN THE BOOK.
I’m sorry for gloating. (No I’m not.) (Yes I am.) (No I’m not.)
Now that Veronica is done with her GIFS. Here how I am feeling:
Share your feelings in the comments!!
You can read the rest of the post here. Veronica Roth also talked about her confidence on Neil Burger, who will direct the film adaptation of Divergent.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.
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| Shailene Woodley in final negotiations to play Tris |
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