The first 'Divergent' trailer drops at the MTV VMAs

"The future belongs to those who know where they belong." This quote, from Erudite faction leader Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet) is the opening line of the first teaser-trailer for Divergent, a highly anticipated film based on the wildly popular young adult Divergent series by Veronica Roth. We've known for months that Shailene Woodley is playing the lead character of Beatrice "Tris" Pryor, and now we see first-hand how up front they're touting the fact that Kate Winslet is also in the movie. This trailer was shown at the MTV Video Music Awards show on Sunday night, and fans were all abuzz about it, no doubt. The Divergent trilogy of books is often compared to the Hunger Games series. Both are stories of dystopian societies and both feature strong female lead characters.

For fans of Divergent who haven't seen the trailer yet, here you go:

Divergent Official Teaser Trailer #1 (2014) - Kate Winslet, Shailene Woodley Movie HD

What do you think? Personally, having read both Divergent and the follow up, Insurgent (the third novel in the series, Allegiant, comes out in October), I don't think it's too bad. I think Shailene Woodley was a good casting choice. She can definitely act (see: The Descendants) and just from the brief trailer, I can tell she's getting this action stuff down now.

Here's my concern, and fellow fans, I'd love to hear your thoughts about this in the comments section: I do not want to see Divergent promoted the way studios have promoted other YA movies, a la Beautiful Creatures and, most recently, The Mortal Instruments movie. Don't focus on the romance in the story - it is secondary to the bigger picture. Focus instead on Tris and her decision to join a faction different from her parents (kids in this dystopian world are tested into five factions based on their personalities). Let's keep the issues that make this book great - the political fighting, the fear of Tris being found out as a Divergent (a person who could fit into several groups and thus, a threat to be eliminated) - at the forefront. Promote this one right, Hollywood, and I suspect the movie has a chance.

If, in coming months, we start seeing more and more silly Tris and Four Romance scenes in the trailers, Divergent is destined to be a flop. Is it the next Hunger Games? Not quite. It was a good book with a great storyline, but given that The Hunger Games trilogy's not even halfway through at the box office, it's too early to be talking about the *next* HG just yet.

Photo courtesy of TotalFilm.com