Divergent director will not return for sequel

Young adult sci-fi saga Divergent may not have hit cinemas yet, but Summit is already looking for a new director to continue the franchise, with Variety reporting Neil Burger will not return for the sequel.

The studio has already scheduled Insurgent and its follow-up, Allegiant , for release dates in 2015 and 2016 respectively, and so will have to move quickly if it is to hit those targets as planned.

The report gives no explanation for Burger’s non-involvement, and given that the film hasn't opened yet, and the production seems to have run smoothly, there's no obvious motive for the departure.

The scenario is oddly reminiscent of the situation faced by The Hunger Games , in which original director Gary Ross stepped down from his role after the studio announced a series of very tight release dates.

As it turned out, Francis Lawrence did a fine job with Catching Fire , and hopefully Summit can achieve something similar here. In the meantime, Divergent will open in the UK on 4 April 2014.