Thrilling New Dystopian Sci-Fi 'Divergent' Explained By Author Veronica Roth [Video]

Calling all fans of sci-fi young adult fiction series Divergent! After months of waiting to be thrown a bone by director Neil Burger and the makers of Divergent, the upcoming adaptation of Veronica Roth's breakneck books, we've got a juicy pre-trailer featurette that gives a behind the scenes sneak peek into the film as well as interviews with cast members and Roth herself.

Shailene Woodley Plays Beatrice, Who Finds Out She Is Different.

Shailene Woodley, Kate Winslet, Theo James, and Jai Courtney star in this post-apocalyptic, dystopian look at the future, set in Chicago. The story centres on an extraordinary teenager named Beatrice "Tris" Prior (Woodley) who finds out that she's not like anyone else because she's Divergent, meaning she doesn't fit into any of the five pre-ordained factions the rest of the populace fit into.

Watch The New 'Divergent' Featurette:

However, rather than being treasured by society for her individual traits, Tris becomes under danger of extermination as an authoritarian leader seeks to rid the world of her kind in order to assert total dominance. "At some point in everybody's life you have to decide if you're gonna stick with the way you were raised or listen to your own internal compass," reasons Roth about the inspiration for her story.

"I think the reason so many people have connected to [the story] is because it's something you can identify with," she adds.

Kate Winslet Stars In 'Divergent': A New Science Fiction Adventure Movie.

"After so many years of war and pain, humanity's reached a time where the only way they perceive themselves to survive is to create a new system of democracy and that is letting yourself into five different ways of thinking, five factions," explains Theo, who plays Tobias "Four" Eaton, a member of the Dauntless faction and Tris' love interest. Shailene adds: "These paradigms of thinking; compassion, honesty, intelligence, selflessness and bravery; represent society...But Tris is 'Divergent' which means she can't be categorised into one individual faction."

Beatrice Finds Out That She Has A Special Mind.

"['Divergent'] takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions through the characters' experiences," says Woodley as we see her in character as Tris harnessed to safety wires before jumping off a building.

"The five different factions of families, you have to choose to belong to one of them [...] It's about belonging somewhere, making that choice, making that commitment," says Kate Winslet, who plays the story's primary antagonist, Jeanine Matthews.

As The Society Begins To Unravel In Conflict, Tris' Secret Could Save Others Or Destroy Her.

With a sequel, Insurgent, already in the works, Divergent will be released on the 21st March in the USA and on the 4th April in the UK.