Meet Thomas, a teenage boy who finds that he is a mystery even to himself when he finds himself in The Glades a strange prison of sorts, situated in the center of a lethal maze, populated by other adolescent boys who send runners out into the maze every day in hopes of discovering a way out. But the maze isn’t a simple labyrinth, but rather a death trap with hidden threats, shifting walls and deadly creatures waiting to pick the runners off. Anyone stuck in the maze after dark is as good as dead. Thomas joins the runners in attempting to find a way out, but things are complicated with the arrival of Teresa, the first (and last) female prisoner who bears a warning that the inmates’ time for solving the maze is running out.
‘The Maze Runner‘ is based on James Dashner’s best selling YA novel, which was the first in a series, followed up by ‘The Scorch Trials’ and ‘The Death Cure’. Cynically, this is the latest YA novel movie adaptation, hoping to become the next ‘Twilight‘ or ‘The Hunger Games‘. The most obvious difference is that this series is decidedly guy-skewing, which may open it up to a larger male audience, a demographic that shied away from ‘Twilight’ in particular, due to its heavy emphasis on romance. ‘The Maze Runner’, in contrast, plays almost like a futuristic ‘Lord of the Flies’ on steroids.
The movie stars ‘Teen Wolf’ favorite Dylan O’Brien as Thomas, with Kaya Scodelario as Teresa, Will Poulter as Gally, Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Newt, Ki Hong Lee as Minho and Aml Ameen as Alby. Perhaps the biggest “name” among the cast is adult actress Patricia Clarkson as Ava Paige.
The first trailer is here and seems promising! The ‘Hunger Games’ comparisons are obviously there, but there is definitely potential for this movie (possibly the first of a series) to develop a voice of its own. Check the trailer out for yourself below!
‘The Maze Runner’ is due in theaters on September 19th, 2014. It is released by 20th Century Fox and directed by Wes Ball.
