Neil Burger to Direct Divergent Film Adaptation
October 30, 2012
Neil Burger has signed up as the director for the film adaptation of Divergent. Throughout his career, he has directed the films The Illusionist (2006) and Limitless (2011). At the moment, the movie studio is courting The Secret Life of the American Teenager star Shailene Woodley for the lead role of Tris. Author Veronica Roth has endorsed both Burger and Woodley for this movie project.
"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."