Maze Runner (film series)

Last updated

Maze Runner
Directed by Wes Ball
Screenplay by
Based on The Maze Runner series by James Dashner
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography
Edited by
Music by John Paesano
Production
companies
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date
2014–2018
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
BudgetTotal (3 films):
$157 million
Box officeTotal (3 films):
$949 million

Maze Runner is a North American film trilogy, consisting of science-fiction dystopian action adventure films based on The Maze Runner novels by the American author James Dashner. Produced by Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and distributed by 20th Century Fox, the films star Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ki Hong Lee, Dexter Darden, and Patricia Clarkson. Wes Ball directed all three films.

Contents

The first film, The Maze Runner , was released on September 19, 2014, and became a commercial success grossing over $348 million worldwide. The second film, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials was released on September 18, 2015, and was also a success, grossing over $312 million worldwide. The film series concluded with the release of the third film, Maze Runner: The Death Cure on January 26, 2018, which grossed $288 million worldwide.

Films

The Maze Runner (2014)

The film features Thomas, who wakes up trapped in a maze with a group of other boys. He has no memory of the outside world other than dreams about an organization known as WCKD (World Catastrophe Killzone Department). Only by piecing together fragments of his past with clues he discovers in the maze can Thomas hope to uncover his purpose and a way to escape.

Development for the film began in January 2011 when Fox purchased the film rights to Dashner's novel The Maze Runner . [1] Principal photography began in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in May 2013 and ended in July. [2] [3] It was released on September 19, 2014. [4]

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)

The film features Thomas and his fellow Gladers as they search for clues about the organization known as WCKD. Their journey takes them to the Scorch, a desolate landscape filled with obstacles. Teaming up with resistance fighters, the Gladers take on WCKD's "vastly superior" forces and uncover its plans for them all.

Principal photography commenced in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in October 2014 and ended in January 2015. [5] [6] It was released on September 18, 2015. [7]

Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)

In the finale to the Maze Runner saga, Thomas leads his group of escaped Gladers on their final and most dangerous mission yet. To save their friends, they must break into the legendary Last City, a WCKD-controlled safe zone designed to keep people out. They attempt to enter to rescue their friends, seeking answers to the questions the Gladers have been asking since they first arrived in the maze.

In March 2015, T.S. Nowlin, who co-wrote the first and wrote the second film, was hired to write Maze Runner: The Death Cure based on the novel The Death Cure . [8] In September 2015, Ball was hired to direct the film. [9] Ball said that the film would not be split into two films. [10] Principal photography took place in Cape Town, South Africa between March and June 2017 for a January 26, 2018, release. [11] [12] [13] [14]

Future

Following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney in March 2019, Disney announced in April 2019 at their CinemaCon presentation that new Maze Runner films are in development. [15]

Recurring cast and characters

CharacterFilms
The Maze Runner (2014) Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015) Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)
Thomas Dylan O'Brien
Teresa Kaya Scodelario
Newt Thomas Brodie-Sangster
Minho Ki Hong Lee
Frypan Dexter Darden
Ava Paige Patricia Clarkson
WinstonAlexander Flores
Gally Will Poulter Will Poulter
Janson Aidan Gillen
Aris Jacob Lofland
Brenda Rosa Salazar
Jorge Giancarlo Esposito
Vince Barry Pepper
Sonya Katherine McNamara
Harriet Nathalie Emmanuel

Crew

OccupationFilms
The Maze Runner (2014) Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015) Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)
Director Wes Ball
Producer(s)Marty Bowen, Lee Stollman, Wyck Godfrey & Ellen Goldsmith-Vein Marty Bowen, Lee Stollman, Wyck Godfrey, Joe Hartwick Jr. & Ellen Goldsmith-Vein Wes Ball, Marty Bowen, Lee Stollman, Wyck Godfrey, Joe Hartwick Jr. & Ellen Goldsmith-Vein
Writer(s) T.S. Nowlin, Noah Oppenheim & Grant Pierce Myers T.S. Nowlin
Director of photography Enrique Chediak Gyula Pados
Editor(s) Dan Zimmerman Paul Harb & Dan Zimmerman

Music

TitleU.S. release dateComposer(s)Label
The Maze Runner (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [16] September 12, 2014 John Paesano Sony Classical
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [17] September 11, 2015
Maze Runner: The Death Cure (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [18] January 26, 2018

Reception

Box office performance

FilmRelease dateBox office grossBox office rankingProduction budgetRef.
North AmericaOther territoriesWorldwideAll time North AmericaAll time worldwide
The Maze RunnerSeptember 19, 2014$102,427,862$245,891,999$348,319,861580285$34 million [19]
Maze Runner: The Scorch TrialsSeptember 18, 2015$81,697,192$230,627,911$312,325,103810337$61 million [20]
Maze Runner: The Death CureJanuary 26, 2018$58,032,443$230,385,747$288,418,1901,377467$62 million [21]
Total [22]
$242,157,497$706,905,657$949,063,154$157 million

All Maze Runner films opened at number one at the North American box office during their opening weekend. [23] [24] [25] In North America, the Maze Runner film series is the fifth-highest-grossing film series based on young adult books, after the film series of Harry Potter , The Hunger Games , The Twilight Saga , and The Divergent Series , respectively, earning $242 million. [26] Worldwide, it is the fourth-highest-grossing film series based on young-adult books, after the film series of Harry Potter, The Twilight Saga, and The Hunger Games, respectively, earning $949 million from a $157 million total production budget. [22]

Critical and public response

The Maze Runner trilogy has received a mixed critical response, with the primary source of criticism being the plot and character development, although its performances and action sequences have been praised.

Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore
The Maze Runner65% (172 reviews) [27] 57 (34 reviews) [28] A− [29]
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials47% (152 reviews) [30] 43 (29 reviews) [31] B+ [29]
Maze Runner: The Death Cure43% (171 reviews) [32] 50 (38 reviews) [33] B+ [29]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Dashner</span> American author

James Smith Dashner is an American writer known for speculative fiction. Many of his books are primarily aimed at children or young adults. He is best known for The Maze Runner series and the young adult fantasy series The 13th Reality. His 2008 novel The Journal of Curious Letters, first in the series, was one of the annual Borders Original Voices picks.

<i>The Maze Runner</i> 2009 novel by James Dashner

The Maze Runner is a 2009 dystopian novel by American author James Dashner. It takes place in a world suffering from a coronal mass ejection and whose surviving civilians fight to avoid an apocalyptic illness called the Flare. It is written from the perspective of Thomas, a 16-year-old boy who wakes up with no memories inside an artificially produced maze but who is also the key to his friends’ salvation. An organization called WICKED controls the world politically seeks a cure to the Flare and uses the youngest generation of civilians who are immune as test subjects.

<i>The Scorch Trials</i> 2010 novel by James Dashner

The Scorch Trials is a 2010 young adult post-apocalyptic dystopian science fiction novel written by American author James Dashner and the second book, fourth chronologically, in The Maze Runner series. The novel was published on 18 September 2010 by Delacorte Press. It follows The Maze Runner, and is followed by The Death Cure. A film adaptation was released on 18 September 2015 by 20th Century Fox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dylan O'Brien</span> American actor (born 1991)

Dylan Rhodes O'Brien is an American actor. His first major role was as Stiles Stilinski in the MTV supernatural series Teen Wolf (2011–2017). He achieved further prominence for his lead role in the science fiction Maze Runner trilogy (2014–2018), which led to more film appearances.

<i>The Death Cure</i> 2011 James Dashner novel

The Death Cure is a 2011 young adult dystopian science fiction novel written by American writer James Dashner and the third published in The Maze Runner series. It was published on 11 October 2011 by Delacorte Press and was preceded in publication order by The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials and followed by the series prequels, The Kill Order and The Fever Code.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosa Salazar</span> American actress

Rosa Salazar is an American actress. She had roles in the NBC series Parenthood (2011–2012) and the FX anthology series American Horror Story: Murder House (2011). She made her breakthrough as the title character of the film Alita: Battle Angel (2019) and is known for starring in the series Brand New Cherry Flavor (2021), which she also co-produced.

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<i>The Maze Runner</i> (film) 2014 American dystopian science fiction film

The Maze Runner is a 2014 American dystopian science fiction film directed by Wes Ball, in his feature directorial debut, based on James Dashner's 2009 novel of the same name. The film is the first installment in The Maze Runner film series and was produced by Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen, and Lee Stollman with a screenplay by Noah Oppenheim, Grant Pierce Myers, and T.S. Nowlin. The film stars Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Will Poulter and Patricia Clarkson. The story follows sixteen-year-old Thomas, portrayed by O'Brien, who awakens in a rusty elevator with no memory of who he is, only to learn that he has been delivered to the middle of an intricate maze, along with many other boys, who have been trying to find their way out of the ever-changing labyrinth – all while establishing a functioning society in what they call the Glade.

<i>Everest</i> (2015 film) 2015 film directed by Baltasar Kormákur

Everest is a 2015 biographical survival adventure film directed and produced by Baltasar Kormákur and written by William Nicholson and Simon Beaufoy. It stars an ensemble cast of Jason Clarke, Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Sam Worthington, Keira Knightley, Martin Henderson and Emily Watson. It is based on the real events of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, and focuses on the survival attempts of two expedition groups, one led by Rob Hall (Clarke) and the other by Scott Fischer (Gyllenhaal). Kormákur, Universal, Walden Media, Cross Creek and Working Title dedicated the film to the late British actress Natasha Richardson.

<i>The 33</i> 2015 film by Patricia Riggen

The 33 is a 2015 biographical disaster-survival drama film directed by Patricia Riggen and written by Mikko Alanne, Craig Borten, Michael Thomas, and José Rivera. The film is based on the real events of the 2010 Copiapó mining disaster, in which 33 miners were trapped inside the San José Mine in Chile for 69 days. The film stars Antonio Banderas as trapped miner Mario Sepúlveda.

<i>Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials</i> 2015 American dystopian science fiction film

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials is a 2015 American dystopian science fiction film based on James Dashner's 2010 novel The Scorch Trials, the second novel in The Maze Runner book series. The film is a direct sequel to the 2014 film The Maze Runner and the second installment in The Maze Runner film series. It was directed by Wes Ball, with a screenplay by T.S. Nowlin. Adding to the original film's cast of Dylan O'Brien, Ki Hong Lee, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Patricia Clarkson, Kaya Scodelario, Dexter Darden and Alexander Flores, the new supporting cast includes Giancarlo Esposito, Aidan Gillen, Barry Pepper and Lili Taylor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wes Ball</span> American film director

Wes Ball is an American film director and producer. He is best known for directing the Maze Runner film trilogy (2014–2018), based on James Dashner's series of novels of the same name, as well as Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024), the fourth installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot series.

<i>The Fever Code</i> 2016 novel by James Dashner

The Fever Code is a 2016 young adult dystopian science fiction novel written by American author James Dashner and published on September 27, 2016, by Delacorte Press. It is the second prequel book in The Maze Runner series and the fifth installment overall. The Fever Code is the second book, chronologically, set in between the events of The Kill Order and The Maze Runner.

The Maze Runner is a series of young adult dystopian science fiction novels written by American author James Dashner. The series consists of The Maze Runner (2009), The Scorch Trials (2010) and The Death Cure (2011), as well as two prequel novels, The Kill Order (2012) and The Fever Code (2016), a novella titled Crank Palace (2020), and a companion book titled The Maze Runner Files (2013). The sixth novel, titled The Maze Cutter, set 73 years following the events of The Death Cure, was released on October 4, 2022.

<i>Maze Runner: The Death Cure</i> 2018 American dystopian science fiction film

Maze Runner: The Death Cure is a 2018 American dystopian science fiction film directed by Wes Ball and with a screenplay by T.S. Nowlin, based on the 2011 novel The Death Cure written by James Dashner. It is the sequel to the 2015 film Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials and the third and final installment in the Maze Runner film series. Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Patricia Clarkson, Ki Hong Lee, Dexter Darden, Giancarlo Esposito, Aidan Gillen, Barry Pepper, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jacob Lofland, Katherine McNamara, Rosa Salazar, and Will Poulter reprise their roles from the previous films with Walton Goggins joining the cast.

<i>Hostiles</i> (film) 2017 film by Scott Cooper

Hostiles is a 2017 American western drama film written and directed by Scott Cooper, based on a story by Donald E. Stewart. Hostiles stars Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike, Wes Studi, Ben Foster, Stephen Lang, Jesse Plemons, Rory Cochrane, Adam Beach, Q'orianka Kilcher, Jonathan Majors, and Timothée Chalamet. It follows a U.S. Army cavalry officer in 1892 who must escort a Cheyenne war chief and his family back to their home in Montana.

Thomas Scott Nowlin is an American screenwriter. He is known for writing the screenplays for the films James Dashner's The Maze Runner film adaptation trilogy (2014–2018), Pacific Rim Uprising (2018), and The Adam Project (2022).

References

  1. ↑ Zeitchik, Steven (January 4, 2011). "Young-adult sensation The Maze Runner gets ready to run the movie gantlet (Updated)". The Los Angeles Times . Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Maze Runner Movie Set". jamesdashner.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  3. ↑ "The Maze Runner Movie Release Date, News, and Updates: 2 New Clips Released in Anticipation of The Premiere". hallels.com. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  4. ↑ Busch, Anita (September 21, 2014). "Box Office Sunday: Maze Runner Finds $32.5M; Liam's Walk Limps In; Where I Leave You No. 3". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  5. ↑ Maze Runner News [@MazeRunnerWW] (October 27, 2014). "The Scorch Trials starts filming TODAY!" (Tweet). Retrieved October 27, 2014– via Twitter.
  6. ↑ Wentz, Brook (January 29, 2015). "The Maze Runner sequel The Scorch Trials officially wraps filming". Hypable. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  7. ↑ Dashner, James (September 21, 2014). "And like that's not cool enough, it's official: THE SCORCH TRIALS movie is coming September 18, 2015. Doesn't this look sweet: #ScorchTrials". Twitter . Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  8. ↑ Busch, Anita (March 4, 2015). "Maze Runner: The Death Cure Sets T.S. Nowlin To Pen". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  9. ↑ McNary, Dave; Chi, Paul (September 16, 2015). "Wes Ball Returning to Direct Third Maze Runner". Variety . Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  10. ↑ Sciretta, Peter (October 9, 2014). "The Maze Runner Finale The Death Cure Won't Be Split Into Two Movies". /Film . Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  11. ↑ Busch, Anita (August 29, 2016). "The Maze Runner: The Death Cure Will Restart Production In February". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  12. ↑ Bailey, Ian (September 4, 2016). "Maze Runner film production leaving B.C. for South Africa". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  13. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 22, 2017). "Deadpool 2, New Mutants & Dark Phoenix Find 2018 Dates Among Fox's Slew Of Release Changes & Additions". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  14. ↑ McNary, Dave (August 25, 2017). "Steven Spielberg's Pentagon Papers Movie Re-Titled The Post". Variety. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Fox Plans More Sequels to Popular Movie Franchises Post-Disney Merger". CBR. April 3, 2019.
  16. ↑ "The Maze Runner (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Apple Music. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Apple Music. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Maze Runner: The Death Cure (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Apple Music. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  19. ↑ "The Maze Runner (2014)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  22. 1 2 "Maze Runner Movies at the Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  23. ↑ Subers, Ray (September 21, 2014). "Weekend Report: Maze Runner Franchise Off to Strong Start". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  24. ↑ Brevet, Brad (September 20, 2015). "Maze and Mass Top Box Office, but Everest and Sicario are the Story". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  25. ↑ Brevet, Brad (January 28, 2018). "Maze Runner #1, Jumanji & Showman Hold Strong & Padmaavat Takes Spot in Top Ten" . Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  26. ↑ "Young-Adult Book Adaptations Movies at the Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  27. ↑ "The Maze Runner (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes.
  28. ↑ "The Maze Runner Reviews". Metacritic.
  29. 1 2 3 D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 28, 2018). "Fox Controls Close To 40% Of Weekend B.O. Led By 'Maze Runner' & Oscar Holdovers; 'Hostiles' Gallops Past $10M". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on January 27, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2023. Death Cure gets a B+ CinemaScore tonight, which is the same as Scorch Trials, and just below the first 2014 installment's A-.
  30. ↑ "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes.
  31. ↑ "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials Reviews". Metacritic.
  32. ↑ "Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes.
  33. ↑ "Maze Runner: The Death Cure Reviews". Metacritic.
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