'Divergent' wins weekend box office

"Divergent" has cast some big names -- Kate Winslet, Shailene Woodley and Ashley Judd, to name a few -- and an even bigger expectation to blow out the box office when it opens on March 21. Whether you're already a fan who needs a refresher or brand new to the world of Beatrice "Tris" Prior and her struggle, consider this your initiation into the newest YA movie craze.

The series revolves around a teen named Beatrice "Tris" Prior who lives in a dystopian version of Chicago where the population is divided into five groups based on moral values in an attempt to keep peace.

The idea is the brainchild of Veronica Roth, who wrote "Divergent" and its sequels, "Insurgent" and "Allegiant." Roth, 25, released the first book in the series in spring 2011. Film rights to "Divergent" were snapped up by Summit Entertainment before the book was even released.

With the "Divergent" trilogy, Roth has created a massive following that has waited anxiously for each installment. As of January 1, 2014, publisher Harper Collins announced the series had sold 10 million copies, according to USA Today.

In Roth's futuristic version of Chicago, everyone in society falls into one of five groups, or "factions": the highly intelligent are "Erudite," the artistic and peaceful are "Amity," the brutally honest are "Candor," the incredibly brave are in "Dauntless," and the selfless are in "Abnegation." Those who don't have a faction are left on the fringes of society, absent an identity or community to belong to.

Tris and her family, the Priors, fall into the "Abnegation" faction, where putting the needs of family and society above your own is paramount. Each faction's principles are reflected in their style, so those in the selfless category wear simple, neutral clothing to better demonstrate their lack of self-importance.

Just because you're born into one faction doesn't mean you have to stay there. Every eligible young adult is allowed the opportunity to choose the faction that best fits with their personality at a Choosing Ceremony. Tris' father, Andrew Prior (Tony Goldwyn), wants Tris and her brother, Caleb, to stay in the Abnegation faction.

Tris' mother, Natalie Prior (Ashley Judd), is more open to her children moving into a different faction, even though that means they'd leave their home behind.

Tris' brother, Caleb (Ansel Elgort), for example, decides to join the Erudite faction in keeping with his thoughtful demeanor.

Before announcing their chosen faction at the Choosing Ceremony, the students take an aptitude test that reveals their strongest value. The test is over when one value is isolated, but Tris doesn't fit into just one category, which makes her "divergent." Test results are supposed to be kept secret, which is doubly important in Tris' case: If she's discovered to be divergent, she'll be viewed as a threat to society.

At the annual Choosing Ceremony, those who are eligible make a decision that will change their lives forever: Once they select a faction and publicly make their choice they cannot change it, and have to leave their old life behind. Their aptitude tests don't determine their choice, but are supposed to aid it.

Unlike Caleb, Tris chooses the Dauntless faction, which is all about bravery and cultivating a spirit of fearlessness. In order to make it in this faction, you have to be OK with stunts of daring like leaping on and off trains, handling weapons and engaging in merciless combat.

Tobias, or "Four" (Theo James), teaches the Dauntless newcomers the ropes, and has a particular soft spot for Tris.

Joining Tris as a Dauntless newcomer is Christina (Zoe Kravitz), who comes from the frank Candor faction and quickly becomes Tris' friend during their training.

There's also Will (Ben Lloyd-Hughes), who comes from the Erudite faction but is a little too gregarious for that high-minded lifestyle.

Like Christina, Peter (Miles Teller) comes from Candor, and he's as brutal in a physical fight as he is with his honesty. Peter and Tris at first have an antagonistic relationship, but it eventually evolves into something more complex.

Al (Christian Madsen) is from the creative, gentle Amity, and isn't a good match for the tough Dauntless faction.

Molly (Amy Newbold) is another one of the initiates who hails from Candor and sides with Peter against Tris.

Along with Four, Eric (Jai Courtney) coaches newcomers in the Dauntless way of life. A leader in Dauntless, Eric is a cruel coach who believes in showing bravery through competition and force.

Max (Mekhi Phifer) is another leader of Dauntless, and agrees with Eric's philosophy on what it means to be fearless.

Tori Wu (Maggie Q) is a member of the Dauntless faction who administers Tris' aptitude test and knows that her results were inconclusive. As Tris becomes an initiate of Dauntless, Tori and her tattoo shop -- where other members trickle in for ink, since getting body art is one way to show bravery -- become a haven for Tris.

Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet) is the leader of the Erudite faction. Brilliant but cold and calculating, Jeanine's intelligence can be a danger to others.

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• "Divergent" fell slightly below the predictions of some analysts


• "Muppets Most Wanted" did not score big


• Inspirational film "God's Not Dead" was the weekend surprise

(EW.com) -- Divergent was dauntless at the box office this weekend, easily winning the top spot with an estimated $56 million. Meanwhile, the Muppets failed to take multiplexes in Muppets Most Wanted, earning $16.5 million, and the faith-based indie God's Not Dead inspired an awesome $8.6 million from just 780 theaters.

Starring Shailene Woodley and Theo James as rebels in a dystopian future, the PG-13 action film Divergent aimed for the same moviegoers who gave The Hunger Games a surprise $152.5 million opening weekend in March, 2012. With a $56 million debut, Divergent didn't reach those heights — and even fell slightly below the predictions of some analysts, who had pegged the movie for a $60 million-plus debut.

Like many buzzy films, it started strong out of the gate: A teen-targeted marketing blitz transformed the movie into an event for young fans, who turned out in droves for late-night Thursday screenings that grossed $4.9 million even before the official start of the weekend. Critical reaction has been lackluster, though the film earned a solid A CinemaScore and praise from EW's Owen Gleiberman, who called it an "agreeably rousing, sensitive-teen-in-Amish-linen-finds-her-inner-tattooed-jock-to-fight-the-power formula dystopian thriller." Regardless, a sequel, Insurgent, has already been greenlit by Lionsgate for release on March 20, 2015. The trilogy's finale, Allegiant, is scheduled for March 18, 2016, showing Hollywood's continued faith in spring as a box-office launchpad after the success of recent March hits like The Hunger Games ($408 million total) and Oz the Great and Powerful ($234 million). (However, after the first Hunger Games installment's release, Lionsgate did bump the remainder of the trilogy into the more competitive Thanksgiving time frame.)

EW: 'Divergent' - Did it get trashed for coming after 'The Hunger Games'?

The weekend's other wide release, Muppets Most Wanted, proved that it's still not easy being green — at least at the box office: Budgeted at a reported $50 million, Disney's kid-friendly adventure made $16.5 million in its debut. Despite a pack of big-name, live-action co-stars (Tina Fey, Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell, et al), Kermit and his gang failed to bring in the same crowds who racked up a $29.2 million opening for the 2011 franchise reboot, The Muppets. (That film stalled at $88.6 million domestically, and its co-writer-star Jason Segel wasn't involved in Most Wanted.) Jim Henson's beloved characters have a long and troubled big-screen history, stretching back to 1979′s The Muppet Movie; 2011′s The Muppets is the highest grosser in the series, while the 1999 flop Muppets From Space marks the group's low point, with a $16.6 million total.

EW: 'Divergent' stars Theo James and Shailene Woodley talk pushups and injuries -- LISTEN!

Part of the Muppets' problem might've been the holdover success of Mr. Peabody and Sherman (also featuring the voice of Ty Burrell), which offered stiff competition for family audiences and came in third with $11.7 million. Now in its third weekend, the DreamWorks Animation adventure has drawn up $81 million and is a likely candidate for a sequel. In fourth place, the R-rated 300: Rise of an Empire slayed another $8.7 million in ticket receipts, lifting its cumulative gross to $93.8 million.

The biggest surprise of the weekend is undoubtedly the success of God's Not Dead, an inspirational drama about a college student who defends his belief in God against a non-believing professor. With no marquee stars (Kevin Sorbo and Dean Cain appear in the film, as does Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson) and little mainstream press, the film earned $8.6 million from just 780 theaters.The Freestyle Releasing title benefited from a highly specific marketing plan that involved drumming up social buzz (the film has over 1 million likes on Facebook) and partnering with the Christian music festival Winter Jam to raise awareness in its target audience. 2014 is shaping up to be a bellwether year for faith-based films: Last month, the religious-themed Son of God opened to an impressive $25.6 million, while Darren Aronofsky's biblical opus Noah hits theaters next weekend amid a swirl of controversy.

Here's how the top five played out:

1. Divergent -- $56 million

2. Muppets Most Wanted -- $16.5 million

3. Mr. Peabody and Sherman -- $11.7 million

4. 300: Rise of an Empire -- $8.7 million

5. God's Not Dead -- $8.6 million

In limited release, The Grand Budapest Hotel welcomed $7 million worth of new sales thanks to an expansion from 66 to 304 theaters. With a $13.2 million total in its third week of release, the whimsical dramedy is already hot on the heels of director Wes Anderson's biggest hits, Moonrise Kingdom (final gross: $45.5 million) and 2001′s The Royal Tenenbaums ($52.4 million).

See the original story at EW.com.

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