- Title: UNITED KINGDOM: Hollywood stars in London for the European premiere of Divergent
- Date: 30th March 2014
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MARCH 30, 2014) (REUTERS) ACTRESS SHAILENE WOODLEY ON THE RED CARPET (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTRESS SHAILENE WOODLEY, SAYING: "I mean, I think we're all pretty divergent because we're all human and we're all complex by nature but I think I diverge a lot, I guess, from mediocrity. I'm not a conformist all the same." SHAILENE WOODLEY (SOUNDB
- Embargoed: 14th April 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: United Kingdom
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVADVVS1D5W8LM2PBPC3TEAYDWDU
- Story Text: After making over $54 million (USD) at the North American box office, Hollywood blockbuster 'Divergent' had its UK premiere on Sunday (March 30th) at Leicester Square in London, where its cast and crew turned out to meet the public and media.
Actors Kate Winslet, Shailene Woodley and Theo James turned out alongside their director Neil Burger and Veronica Roth, the author of the book the movie is adapted from.
Speaking about her own reaction to the movie version, Roth told Reuters "I don't know. I think it's never going to be the same as it is in your mind and it would be disappointing if it was because then you'd never be able to rediscover your own work so that's been my experience that it feels so familiar but it's also a pleasant surprise."
Shailene Woodley takes the lead role of Tris who lives in a dystopian world where members of society are put into factions based on what they excel at. However, the testing process, Tris discovers that she doesn't fit into any faction and soon she finds herself a stranger in the world she grew up in.
"I mean, I think we're all pretty divergent because we're all human and we're all complex by nature but I think I diverge a lot, I guess, from mediocrity. I'm not a conformist all the same," Woodley said at the premiere.
The actress has made a splash for some of her unusual beliefs and practises like not having a mobile phone and foraging for her food.
"Am I an extreme character? I think so. I think I'm a kind of all or nothing person. I either throw myself into something 100 per cent or I just skip out," she said.
"Divergent" with its strong central female character and dystopian future has been compared to "The Hunger Games" in a lot of reviews. However, this doesn't bother Woodley.
"I feel that comparisons are inevitable. It's always going to happen. But you know, 'Hunger Games' did really well so if they're comparing us to that, then I don't see that as a bad thing," Woodley admitted.
"Divergent" beat "The Muppets" sequel at the US box office, which was a bittersweet experience for the director Neil Burger.
"These friends of mine had a little celebratory drink for me the other and they said 'Hail to the Muppet crusher!' and I was like 'but I love the Muppets. I don't want to be the Muppet crusher'. I think you know everyone does their own thing and we had a really good weekend this past weekend and we're having a really good one right now. It's nice that people are responding to the movie," said Burger.
Kate Winslet breaks type to play the villain of the movie, who is out to gain control over the dystopian society and destroy all divergents.
At the premiere, she admitted that playing an evil character wasn't the easiest of roles.
"Well it is against my nature and it was doubly difficult because I was nearly five months pregnant when we shot the film and every part of me is in this gooey, happy mode and so to go to work every day and be a complete cow, I had to dig deep. I did have to dig deep but it was so fun to do something so completely different. I like that. I really love being able to play so many different parts and I'm so lucky that I've have had the kind of career where I have had the opportunity to do that and this was no exception. I really loved it," Winslet said.
"Divergent" is released in the UK on April 4. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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