Disney is gearing up to recreate the popular dystopian young adult series “The Maze Runner” as the 10th anniversary of the first movie approaches. Five years after acquiring 20th Century Fox, Disney is leveraging its movie portfolio with projects like “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” and upcoming releases like “Alien: Romulus” and “Deadpool & Wolverine”. Next in line for a refresh is “The Maze Runner”.
Rebooting for a New Audience
According to the Hollywood Reporter, 20th Century Studios is preparing to reintroduce The Maze Runner movies to a new generation. Jack Paglen, known for his work on the 2014 sci-fi thriller Transcendence with Johnny Depp, is leading the scriptwriting charge. Sources said that the reboot aims to extend the original story while drawing inspiration from the first film’s essence.
Recap of the Original Series
Originally directed by Wes Ball—who is currently involved with “Kingdom” and will soon tackle “Legend of Zelda”—the first “The Maze Runner” film hit theatres in 2014. Based on James Dashner’s novels, the film featured Dylan O’Brien as Thomas, a boy with no memory who finds himself in a vast field surrounded by a gigantic maze. Living with other boys in similar circumstances, Thomas is driven by a deep-seated curiosity to decipher the maze’s mysteries and lead his companions to freedom.
Success of the Original Films
The original “Maze Runner” movie was a financial success, grossing $348.3 million on a $34 million budget. It was followed by “Scorch Trials” in 2015 and “Death Cure” in 2018, which also performed well at the box office, earning $312.3 million and $288.2 million respectively. The production of “Death Cure” was notably delayed due to a severe injury to star Dylan O’Brien.
Looking Forward
After completing the merger, Disney announced plans to revive “The Maze Runner” series. Rather than adapting the prequel novels, “The Kill Order” and “Fever Code,” Disney has chosen to reboot the series entirely. This strategy follows a trend of rejuvenating relatively recent young adult series, as seen with “Twilight” and possibly “Percy Jackson”.
Fans of the original “Maze Runner” films, who have been eagerly awaiting this news, are hopeful that the reboot will capture the excitement and quality of the original movies when it eventually hits theaters.
