Summary
Joey King plays the protagonist inUglies, an upcoming Netflix sci-fi movie, and based on the trailer and premise, it has the potential to right one past franchise’s wrongs. The 2024 film,directed by McGand written by Jacob Forman, Vanessa Taylor, and Whit Anderson, is based onScott Westerfeld’s 2005 young adult sci-fi bookof the same name. Shortly following the novel’s publication, a movie inspired by its story was announced. However,Ugliesremained in production hell until 2020, when McG and King signed on to the project, and four years later, theUgliesfilm adaptation is finished and ready for release.
Ugliesrevolves around a post-apocalyptic dystopian society in the futurewhere everyone is considered an “ugly” until they turn 16 years old, which is when they get intense cosmetic surgery to become a “pretty.” The story follows Tally Youngblood, played by King, who starts to revolt against society when she learns the harsh truth behind becoming a “pretty.“Ugliesspawned a book series, including three sequels —Pretties, Specials,andExtras. So, if the movie adaptation performs well when itpremieres on Netflix on August 05, 2025,more films may be on the way.
Joey King’s Uglies Movie Can Avoid Divergent’s Franchise Mistakes
Divergent’s Fourth Film Was Canceled
Uglieshas the potential to redeem theDivergentfranchise after it epically failed in the 2010s. Similar toUglies,theDivergentfilm series is based on a sci-fi novel written by Veronica Roth and chronicles a post-apocalyptic dystopian future where people are separated into five factions — Abnegation (the selfless), Amity (the kind), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave), and Erudite (the intelligent).Divergentshares a lot of qualities with the upcoming movie,which is why the 2024Netflix adaptation of theUgliesbookneeds to avoid the former’s mistakes.
After the fourthDivergentmovie was canceled, producers began developing a television project for Starz that would wrap up the series. However, due to the cast and Starz’s executives' disinterest, the television show was also nixed.
Despite receiving mixed to negative reviews,Divergent’s first two films (DivergentandThe Divergent Series: Insurgent) performed well at the box office. However, the same could not be said for the third movie. The initial plan was to split the third and final book in Roth’s series into two films. WhenThe Divergent Series: Allegiantpremiered in 2016, though, it was a box office bomb, resulting in the studio canceling part 2. Consequently,theDivergentfranchise was never complete,andUglieshas the tools to avoid this fate.
Uglies & Divergent Have A Lot In Common
Uglies & Divergent Are Based On Sci-Fi Book Series
As mentioned above,UgliesandDivergentshare many similarities. Of course, they are both adaptations of popular sci-fi novels, andUglieswas actually published six years before beforeDivergent.They also focus on ayoung female protagonist who strives to break society’s norms and protests what’s expected of them.The characters in both movies are required to change how they present themselves, with Tally expected to undergo a procedure to turn her froman “ugly” into a “pretty” characterand Tris being forced to join one of the five factions.
Netflix is in dire need of a franchise after canceling Zack Snyder’sArmy of the DeadandRebel Moonseries, andUglieshas the material and star power to be just what the streaming service desires.
Aside from their similar premises, the vibes intheUgliestraileralso resembleDivergent’s aesthetic. The views of the dystopian post-apocalyptic world in the Netflix film feel like they could have been pulled out ofDivergent.So, it seems the producers hadDivergentin mind while crafting their adaptation. However,the hope is that they also notedDivergent’s mistakes so that they can avoid failureand launch a franchise. Netflix is in dire need of a franchise aftercanceling Zack Snyder’sArmy of the DeadandRebel Moonseries, andUglieshas the material and star power to be just what the streaming service desires.
Uglies Already Has An Advantage Over Divergent
Netflix, McG, & Joey King Give Uglies A Boost
The good news is thatUgliesis starting with a couple of advantages. For starters, the adaptation will be released on Netflix instead of in theaters, giving it a better chance to perform well. Unless a film is in theHunger Gamesseries, it’s difficult for a sci-fi dystopian movie (or any movie for that matter) to do well at the box office nowadays. Plus, with renowned director McG behind the camera and Netflix veteran Joey King in front of it,Uglieshas been given its best chance to succeed and avoidDivergent’s mistakes.
