Is seems that the Lionsgate producers are ready to add some more serious acting muscle to the Young Adult movie franchise based on Veronica Roth's bestselling Divergent series. According to the latest gossip news updates, HBO heavy hitter Jeff Daniels will more than likely be joining the cast of Allegiant Part 1 and Part 2, as his casting deal is all but closed. While it has longed been rumored that the stars of the popular franchise, Theo James and Shailene Woodley, are dating, original Divergent director, Neil Burger, revealed that the Underworld action star was actually hired to intimidate the Fault in Our Stars sex-symbol -- not to act like her onset boyfriend.
It seems that Kate Winslet may be given a run for her money now that Hollywood icon, Jeff Daniels, is going to be joining the hit Divergent movie series as the brand new baddie.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Newsroom anchorman is a hair's breadth away from inking the deal that would have him reportedly playing the mastermind behind the factioned world of Tris and Four:
"Jeff Daniels is in final negotiations to join the cast of Lionsgate's Divergent YA franchise, with a deal about to close that says he will appear in Allegiant: Part 1 and Part 2.
"Daniels will play David, the leader of the Bureau of Genetic Welfare.
"The bureau is behind the creation of the societies in which Tris was living, and the reason behind their creation slowly is revealed (mainly in Part 2) to be nefarious."
While Daniels was more than likely cast for his ability to play a lovable and friendly sociopath [see Bloodwork and Looper], original Divergent director, Neil Burger, recently told Fashion and Style that he cast Theo James to also play the role of Four with a little menace that would hopefully push Shailene Woodley out of her comfort zone (via KPopStarz):
"We needed somebody who was a man, who was really strong and could push,"
"Shailene's an actress who pushes on the other characters, and we needed someone who could push back even stronger.
"Shailene was just a little intimidated by him, and she hadn't been by any of the other actors."
Who would have guessed that all that early tension would have blossomed into such a dynamic chemistry that tween fans of the franchise are always insistent that if Theo and Shai aren't secretly dating, then they definitely should start?
