Neil Burger in Talks for DIVERGENT

Director circles adaptation of young adult novel.

Variety is hearing word that ‘Limitless’ director Neil Burger has entered into talks with Summit Entertainment to helm a feature adaptation of Veronica Roth’s futuristic young adult novel ‘Divergent.’

The first in a planned trilogy, the book is set in a dystopian Chicago where society is divided into five factions that each represent a particular virtue: Candor (the honest), Erudite (the intelligent), Amity (the peaceful), Dauntless (the daring) and Abnegation (the selfless).

The story follows 16-year-old Beatrice “Tris” Prior, who must choose among the predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

Featuring teen-on-teen violence in a futuristic setting, the series has drawn comparisons to Suzanne Collins’ to ‘The Hunger Games.’

The adaptation is being penned by ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’ scribe Evan Daugherty. Summit is reportedly eyeing a March 2013 start date with a release set for early 2014.