May 13, 2014 - 13:50 AMT
Oscar winner Octavia Spencer added to "Divergent" sequel cast

The "Divergent" sequel, "Insurgent" has added Octavia Spencer to its cast list. Lionsgate announced on Monday, May 12 that the Academy Award winner is to play Johanna, the leader of Amity faction, whom the main characters seek help from during the crisis, AceShowbiz reported.

Johanna's faction is dedicated to peacefulness, kindness, forgiveness, trust, self-sufficiency and neutrality. In the second film, Tris searches for allies and answers in the dystopian ruins of a futuristic Chicago while on the run with Four and hunted by the leader of the power-hungry Erudite elite.

Shailene Woodley, Theo James and Kate Winslet are back in the second installment. Robert Schwentke is directing the film from a screenplay by Brian Duffield and Akiva Goldsman. "Insurgent" is set to be released in the U.S. on March 20, 2015.

The film franchise is based on a trilogy book series by Veronica Roth. The third book will be divided into two films, "Allegiant - Part 1"and "Allegiant - Part 2", which are scheduled to hit the big screen on March 18, 2016, and March 24, 2017, respectively.