Summit Entertainment has released a new image from director Neil Burger’s (The Illusionist) adaptation of the YA novel Divergent.  Based on the book by author Veronica Roth, the story takes place in a futuristic society where people are divided into factions based on their personalities, and Shailene Woodley’s Tris is a young girl who doesn’t fit into any of the pre-assigned groups and faces termination due to her status as a “Divergent.”  This new image highlights a pivotal moment in the story when Tris begins her initiation into one of the factions, and it also provides a great view of the Chicago skyline, which is where the pic is being filmed.

Hit the jump to check out the new image along with a high-resolution version of the previous image that was released, and if you missed it click here to check out our recent lengthy interview with Roth about the film and the final novel in the book series.  Divergent also stars Kate Winslet, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Tony Goldwyn, and Ray Stevenson and opens on March 21, 2014.

Summit Entertainment only just began production on the YA adaptation Divergent, but the studio has now released the first image of Shailene Woodley as the film’s protagonist, Tris.  Based on the book by author Veronica Roth, the story takes place in a futuristic society where people are divided into factions based on their personalities, and Woodley’s Tris is a young girl who doesn’t fit into any of the pre-assigned groups and faces termination due to her status as a “Divergent.”  While many will draw similarities to The Hunger Games (this debut image doesn’t exactly set the two apart), I’ve heard good things about Divergent and The Descendants star Woodley is proving to be one of the more exciting young talents working today.  She turns in a stellar performance in the upcoming The Spectacular Now.

Hit the jump to check out the debut image from director Neil Burger’s (Limitless) adaptation.  The film also stars Kate Winslet, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Tony Goldwyn, Ray Stevenson, Mekhi Phifer, Maggie Q, Jai Courtney, Miles Teller, Zoë Kravitz, Ansel Elgort, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Ben Lamb, Christian Madsen and Amy Newbold.  Divergent opens on March 21, 2014.

Not only did Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier kick off its production today, but so did Summit’s highly-anticipated adaptation, Divergent.  The feature treatment of the popular YA novel by Veronica Roth was written by Vanessa Taylor (Hope Springs) for director Neil Burger (Limitless).  The plot centers on Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley of The Descendants) who doesn’t fit into the pre-established factions of her dystopian future world.  When she discovers a plot to destroy her and other Divergents, she must uncover the secret behind what it is that makes them so dangerous.

Divergent also stars Kate Winslet, Theo James, Ray Stevenson, Mekhi Phifer, Maggie Q, Jai Courtney, Miles Teller, Zoë Kravitz, Ansel Elgort, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Ben Lamb, Christian Madsen and Amy Newbold, and is expected to open March 21, 2014.  Hit the jump to read the full press release.

It’s officially official: Shailene Woodley will be Hazel Grace in the feature film adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars.  The movie rights to author John Green’s incredibly well-received 2012 novel were snatched up early last year, and (500) Days of Summer scribes Michael H. Weber and Scott Neustadter subsequently signed on to pen the screenplay.  The equal parts heartbreaking and charming story centers on two cancer-stricken teens that meet in a support group and develop a relationship.  When Josh Boone (Stuck in Love) signed on to direct last month, we also learned that Woodley was in the running for the female lead.  Now the deal has been solidified, as Woodley has been offered the part.  Hit the jump for more, including thoughts from Green on the casting.

The first pictures of Emma Stone and Shailene Woodley filming a scene together for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 have surfaced online. Stone portrayed Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker’s main love interest in the first The Amazing Spider-Man, and Woodley was recently added to play Parker’s iconic longtime love, Mary Jane Watson. While it has been said that Woodley’s role will not be as prominent in this film, if the film follows accurately with Spider-Man mythology, Woodley could become Parker’s romantic frontrunner in the planned third film. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 also stars Andrew Garfield, Sally Field, Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Dane DeHaan, Felicity Jones, and Paul Giamatti, with Marc Webb returning as director.

Hit the jump for some speculation about the possible Gwen-MJ dynamic as well as photos of Stone and Woodley on set.

Another batch of pics, plus a brief video of a car stunt, have leaked from the NYC set of Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2. This is the fifth (yes, fifth!) batch  of set photos to have surfaced online in the past week. This morning, we got a glimpse of Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker and Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy taking a stroll in Chinatown, and now we have Shailene Woodley popping up as Mary Jane, who in this version of the Spidey-verse is a waitress — a mighty concerned waitress if these pics have anything to show.

Also starring Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Paul Giamatti, Felicity Jones, Chris Cooper, Sally Field, and Martin Sheen,  The Amazing Spider-Man 2 opens in 3D on May 2, 2014.  Hit the jump to check out the pics and the vid.

Yesterday, we showed you the new costume and first set photos from Marc Webb‘s The Amazing Spider-Man. Today, set photos have leaked of Shailene Woodley as Mary Jane Watson. It’s strange to see how they’ve made her up (assume she’s in makeup) since the Spider-Man reboot claims to be a more realistic retelling of the character, but Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are the kind of absolutely gorgeous high school “outcasts” that don’t really exist. Meanwhile, you have Woodley looking like an actual teenager (which is part of her charm in The Spectacular Now), and I have a feeling that Dane DeHaan (who plays Harry Osborne) will have the same look. I’m curious to see how this is all going, or if perhaps these set photos don’t convey the kind of lighting and camera work that will turn Woodley from a good-looking person into a total knock-out.

Hit the jump to check out the set photos. The film also stars Jamie Foxx, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field, Felicity Jones, and Martin Sheen. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 opens in 3D on May 2, 2014. [Update: Some new set photos have surfaced featuring Andrew Garfield and Woodley sharing a scene together, and they're now included after the jump.]

The anticipated feature film adaptation of author John Green’s bestselling novel The Fault in Our Stars now has a director.  The book debuted to critical acclaim last January, and the story centers on two cancer-stricken teens that meet in a support group and develop a relationship. The novel follows the two through the ups and downs of their disease, as they embolden each other to face an uncertain future.  Fox 2000 quickly picked up the feature film rights to the novel and tapped (500) Days of Summer scribes Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber to pen the screenplay.  Now Josh Boone has been hired to take the helm, with The Descendants star Shailene Woodley in the running for the coveted female lead role.  Hit the jump for more.

Earlier today, we reported that Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 began production in New York.  Now, we have the full press release that reveals the first official synopsis and the principal cast.  We knew that Paul Giamatti was in talks to join the production and can confirm that now, but his role has yet to be specified.  Another new name that joins the sequel’s cast is Colm Feore (Thor), but his role is also unspecified (Norman Osborn?).  Hit the jump to check out the synopsis and read the press release.

One of my favorite movies at this year’s Sundance Film Festival was director James Ponsoldt (Smashed) and writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber’s (500 Days of Summer) coming of age drama The Spectacular Now.   Led by fantastic lead performances from Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley, the film is about two High School seniors that are going in opposite directions.  Sutter Keely (Teller) is the life of the party and loves to drink, while Aimee Finicky (Woodley) is pretty, but shy and removed from the popular crowd.  When Sutter wakes up on Aimee’s lawn after being dumped by his girlfriend, what starts off as a rebound quickly turn into something more.  The film also stars Brie Larson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Kyle Chandler.  For more on the film, here is Matt’s review.

The day after the world premiere I sat down with Teller and Woodley for an exclusive video interview.  We talked about being at Sundance, how they got cast, the fact that the characters in the film are real and relatable, and more.  In addition, each of them talks about their upcoming projects including The Amazing Spider-Man 2.  Hit the jump to watch.

“Live in the moment” is a nice platitude and a crappy life philosophy.  Vivacity is all well and good.  We should appreciate the present, but we can’t live only for the present.  We have to think about tomorrow because we’re probably going to be there.    In his wonderful new film The Spectacular Now, director James Ponsoldt explore the live-for-the-moment mentality with an authentic and earnest look at high school emotions, anxiety about the future, and first love.   Led by extraordinary performances from stars Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley, The Spectacular Now is a thoroughly charming and surprisingly powerful coming-of-age story about the fear of looking ahead and the seductive safety of living in the present.

Some new images have cropped up today for John Moore’s A Good Day to Die Hard and James Ponsoldt’s The Spectacular Now.  The fifth installment in the Die Hard series features John McClane (Bruce Willis) and his son Jack (Jai Courtney), who are seen amidst a lot of destruction in this new image.  We also have an infographic from the original 1988 film, which is the first in a series that will be released for each film leading up to the February 14th release of A Good Day to Die Hard.

We’ve also got some new images that feature Shailene Woodley (The Descendants) and Miles Teller (Project X) being all young and cute in The Spectacular Now.  Also starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kyle Chandler, Brie Larson and Jennifer Jason Leigh, the picture  debuts at Sundance this Friday.  Hit the jump to see the new images.

The Sundance Film Festival recently announced the first round of programming, and we have the first images from a few of the movies playing in the U.S. Dramatic Competition:

• Mother of George - Directed by Andrew Dosunmu, starring Isaach De Bankolé, Danai Gurira, Anthony Okungbowa, Yaya Alafia, and Bukky Ajayi.
• The Lifeguard - Written and directed by Liz W. Garcia, starring Kristen Bell, Mamie Gummer, Martin Starr, Alex Shaffer, Amy Madigan, and David Lambert.
• The Spectacular Now - Directed by James Ponsoldt, starring Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Kyle Chandler.
• Touchy Feely - Written and directed by Lynn Shelton, starring Rosemarie DeWitt, Allison Janney, Ron Livingston, Scoot McNairy, Ellen Page, and Josh Pais.

Hit the jump for the images and synopses.  The 2013 Sundance Film Festival runs January 17-27.

Shailene Woodley is having a very good couple of weeks.  The Descendants star recently entered negotiations to nab the coveted role of Mary Jane Watson in the Amazing Spider-Man sequel, and now she’s looking to lead a franchise of her own: director Neil Burger‘s (Limitless) adaptation of the Hunger Games-esque YA novel Divergent.  The story revolves around a 16-year-old girl living in a world where society is divided into five factions that represent a particular virtue.  There’s Honesty, Selflessness, Bravery, Peacefulness, and Intelligence.  On a certain day, all 16-year-olds must choose which virtue they want to devote the rest of their life to, after which they undergo a rigorous initiation process for said virtue.

The novel, from author Veronica Roth, is the first in a planned trilogy and it’s garnered some very positive reviews, so this may not be the cheap Hunger Games ripoff that some are expecting.  Heat Vision reports that Woodley initially some scheduling issues with Spider-Man, but apparently the Mary Jane role is realtively small in that sequel, setting up a major role in the third film.  As such, she’s able to take the lead in Divergent and also play Mary Jane.  Hit the jump to read the full synopsis for the book.

Things are heating up for the Amazing Spider-Man sequel.  Just a couple of weeks ago we got confirmation that Marc Webb is returning to direct with Andrew Garfield confirmed to reprise his Spidey role and Emma Stone expected to come back as Gwen Stacy.  It was all but assumed that comics love interest Mary Jane Watson would come into play in the follow-up, and now it appears that Webb and co. have settled on the actress to tackle the iconic character: The Descendants star Shailene Woodley.  Hit the jump for much more on The Amazing Spider-Man 2 including possible villains and the appearance of a fan-favorite character.