The Maze Runner is a 2014 American dystopian science fiction film directed by Wes Ball, in his directorial debut, based on the 2009 novel of the same name by James Dashner. 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 from a screenplay by Noah Oppenheim, Grant Pierce Myers and T.S. Nowlin.
The film stars Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Aml Ameen, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ki Hong Lee, Will Poulter and Patricia Clarkson. The story follows sixteen-year-old Thomas, played by O’Brien, who wakes up in a rusty elevator with no memory of who he is, only to discover that he has been taken to the middle of an intricate maze, along with many others. children, who have been trying to find their way out of the ever-changing maze, all while establishing a functional society in what they call the Glade.
Development of The Maze Runner began in January 2011 when Fox purchased the film rights to Dashner’s novel with Gotham Group, Temple Hill Entertainment, TSG Entertainment producing and Catherine Hardwicke intended to direct. In 2012, Ball was hired to direct the film adaptation after pitching an animated short titled Ruin with a similar tone and was initially considered for a feature film adaptation. Principal photography began in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on May 13, 2013 and officially concluded on July 12, 2013.
The Maze Runner was released on September 19, 2014 in the United States by 20th Century Fox. The film received positive reviews, with praise for the direction, performances, and tone. Critics consider it better than most young adult book-to-film adaptations. The film ranked first at the box office in its opening weekend, grossing $32.5 million, making it the seventh highest-grossing debut of September. The film grossed more than $348 million at the worldwide box office, against its budget of $34 million. A sequel, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, was released on September 18, 2015 in the United States. A third and final film, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, was released on January 26, 2018.
