FILM · 2015 · USA
The Divergent Series: Insurgent
41 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (41)
- #001
In one draft of the screenplay, the film's final scene had Tris shooting Jeanine in the back of the head. That ending was shot, but it was deemed "too dark" for a PG-13 rating, and the studio ultimately feared audiences would not respond well to the film's lead coldly shooting an unarmed character. In the end, the director decided it would be better for Evelyn to shoot her, symbolically trading one villain for another.
- #002
Caleb has a rather unusual running style in the film, especially near the beginning. It was a choice made by actor Ansel Elgort, who stated: "Shailene Woodley and Theo James are superheroes. Caleb is not. Caleb represents the non-physical, intellectual side. I wanted to make sure that was on screen. I wanted to make sure it made sense."
- #003
This is the first sequel Kate Winslet has ever made.
- #004
According to Miles Teller, Tris (Shailene Woodley) is bleeding in 90% of the scenes because he beats her up.
- #005
After cutting her hair for the role of Hazel Grace Lancaster in The Fault in Our Stars (2014), Shailene Woodley decided she did not want to wear a wig for Insurgent. In the book Tris cuts her hair, but not as short as it appears in the film.
- #006
Unlike the first film, Insurgent is a fairly loose adaptation of Veronica Roth's novel, which has a very different plot.
- #007
In the film there is a box containing a message that only Divergents can open. There is no box in the book; instead the message is found on Jeanine's computer, which is difficult to access.
- #008
At the end of the film Evelyn shoots Jeanine in the head. In the book, however, it is Tori who kills Jeanine by stabbing her.
- #009
Neither the cube nor the simulations connected to it appear in the books.
- #010
In the book Tris is to be executed with a serum, after which Peter swaps it for another serum that does not kill her. In the film he injects her with a serum before she enters the sim.
- #011
Unlike the first film, Insurgent was shot mostly in Atlanta rather than Chicago.
- #012
Several of the actors completed principal photography on other films while shooting this one. Miles Teller shot Fantastic Four (2015), Jai Courtney shot Terminator Genisys (2015) and Kate Winslet shot Triple 9 (2016).
- #013
In the book Tris had to work with Marcus (Four's father) to reach the computer where the message was hidden, because Marcus had originally told her about it, but Four did not want her working with his father. Four found her before she could open it and was angry that she had worked with his father, but after seeing the end of the book he showed the message to everyone and partly forgave Tris.
- #014
Edward, the character played by Ben Lamb in Divergent (2014), was supposed to appear in the film, but Lamb dropped out to take a role in Blood Orange (2016) instead. Rather than rewrite the role, the producers chose to create a new character to replace him; Edgar, played by Jonny Weston, led some fans to initially think he would be a new love interest for Tris.
- #015
The film begins and ends with Kate Winslet.
- #016
Neil Burger was set to direct this film but was unable to due to scheduling conflicts with the post-production of Divergent (2014).
- #017
In the book, Candor's headquarters is located in the present-day Merchandise Mart building in downtown Chicago. The film uses a fictional building, while some exterior shots show the real Merchandise Mart behind the Candor headquarters, and the city skyline seen through the windows in the interior Candor scenes is geographically accurate if the building is located on the Merchandise Mart's current site.
- #018
Unlike the first film, in which the firearms used by the factions were mostly non-firing props, in this film they use real guns. These include the Chiappa Rhino revolver, the Kriss Vector carbine and SMG (though disguised inside futuristic-looking rounds).
- #019
Because Tobias/Four and Tris grew up in Abnegation, in the books they do not have sex until the sequel Allegiant, whereas here it is suggested that they do so before Tris leaves for the Erudite headquarters.
- #020
In the book version of Insurgent, Tris is injected with an overdose of the Dauntless peace serum after fighting Peter. In the film no injection is given to them; she only receives a lesson from Johanna.
- #021
Naomi Watts, a natural blonde, wore a brown wig for her role in this film.
- #022
Uriah, played by Keiynan Lonsdale, is only a minor character unlike in the novel, and his name is mentioned only a few times throughout the film.
- #023
While visiting the film's set, author Veronica Roth said she liked the actors portraying her literary characters, and she expressed her sorrow over the killing off of her literary colleagues and the departures of the actors. The producers replied half-jokingly: "Well, you killed the characters."
- #024
Some characters from the book do not appear in the film: Zeke, Shauna, Fernando, Robert, Susan and Cara.
- #025
In the novel, a young girl named Hector, Marlene and Kee is under a simulation and is about to commit suicide when Christina and Tris save Hector and Kee. In the film, however, when Tori and Tris save Christina and Hector, Christina, Hector and Marlene are about to be dragged to their deaths. The scene also takes place in the Dauntless Headquarters in the novel, while in the film it takes place among the Factionless.
- #026
In the book, Lynn dies before people see the message. In the film, Lynn does not die.
- #027
At the end of the film everyone leaves through the doors, but in the book they leave when Edith Prior delivers the message at the Erudite Headquarters. And in the book only a few Dauntless leave, not the entire population.
- #028
Marlene, Lynn, Uriah and Hector play major roles in the book. In the film each of them has at most 2-3 lines.
- #029
In the Divergent novel, Tris gets two more tattoos on her shoulders: the symbol of Abnegation on the right and the symbol of Dauntless on the left. This never appeared in the film, but in Insurgent, when she greets Christina at the Erudite headquarters, the Abnegation tattoo is visible on her right shoulder.
- #030
This is the third time Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley have worked together. The first was The Spectacular Now (2013) and the second was Divergent (2014).
- #031
In the novel, Uriah Pedrad has an older brother named Zeke Pedrad who plays a very important role, but he does not appear in the film.
- #032
Eric and Peter are the only characters who swear in the film.
- #033
In the novel, Lynn dies immediately after confessing that she loves Marlene.
- #034
The passionate love scene between Tris and Four was initially much longer but was shortened after test audiences claimed the original scene made them "nauseous."
- #035
Shailene Woodley and Theo James won the Teen Choice Award in the Liplock category.
- #036
The book series is a trilogy but was meant to be four films: Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant and Ascendant. Because the series, and especially Allegiant, performed very poorly at the box office, Ascendant was cancelled.
- #037
This is the second time Theo James and Naomi Watts have appeared in a film together; the first was Woody Allen's You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010), though they do not share any scenes.
- #038
The structure on top of the wall is the Duga radar array. One of them is located in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. It was operated as an early-warning radar system for the Soviet Union from July 1976 to December 1989. Because of the noise it produced, it was jokingly nicknamed the Woodpecker.
- #039
This is the first film in the "Divergent" series to be released in 3D.
- #040
The Divergent Series: Insurgent is the second collaboration between Kate Winslet and Naomi Watts, following Movie 43 (2013).
- #041
The Divergent Series: Insurgent was directed by Robert Schwentke, who also directed The Time Traveler's Wife (2009). The film's male lead, Theo James, also played the male lead in The Time Traveler's Wife (2022).
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