By Peter Hyle and Christian DiMartino
Last night, the highly anticipated movie Divergent was released to theatres. It is rumored that this newly adapted book series will become the next big franchise like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. Students at FC have mixed feelings regarding the hype the upcoming release has gained from media.
Students that have read the books are generally excited to see how the movie will compare.
“I’m really anxious to see the movie, mostly because the books were so great. I didn’t think it would make a good movie at first, but the trailer actually looks good. I have high expectations after watching it,” said junior Madison Rice.
Even students that did not read all of the books are still looking forward to the film itself.
“I really have no idea what it’s about, but from what I’ve heard I expect it to be very thrilling and exciting,” said senior Brittany Harris. “I’m sure it will be an interesting movie.”
Others, however, are worried that the film will ruin the unique qualities that made the books so popular.
“I honestly don’t know if I like the fact that the book has been translated into a movie. They can either follow the book pretty well or they can fill the storyline with useless, random junk,” said junior Allison Burkhart.
As for the Divergent movie turning into the next big franchise, students are unsure if it has what it takes to stand next to franchises like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.
“I don’t think people will give this movie any real attention because everyone keeps comparing it to The Hunger Games. The books are completely different and I’m sure the movies are too, but they just appear to be similar so everyone thinks it’s a rip-off,” said junior Lexie Byrd.
There are also some that think the movie deserves more attention and praise than the movies it is being compared to.
“I enjoyed reading this book more than The Hunger Games, that’s why I think it will be a better movie. People are going to go crazy over it,” said freshman Savannah Conrad.
Overall, most people who enjoyed the book seem to be anxious for the release of the movie, whether it lives up to their expectations or not.
“Whether it’s good or bad, it’s still going to draw in a lot of attention. My only real concern is that people will be turned away from the books if the movie is really bad. Trust me, no matter how the movie turns out, the books are still worthwhile,” said Rice.