Rounding off the “Maze Runner” trilogy, “Maze Runner: The Death Cure” will be released in theaters on Jan. 26, 2018. While there was less than a year between the release of the “Maze Runner” and “Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials” films, the difference between the sequel and “The Death Cure” is around two and a half years.
The delay in release is due to an accident regarding the star Dylan O’Brien being wounded on set by a car.
The “Maze Runner” trilogy is based on novels of the same name written by James Dashner. The original novel was released on Oct. 7, 2009. “The Scorch Trials” was published on Sept. 18, 2010 with the finale, “The Death Cure,” coming out on Oct. 11, 2011.
As for the plot of the series, it all begins with a boy named Thomas arriving in a place known as the Glade. Inside is a group of boys that refer to themselves as Gladers with only one goal in mind: to get through the Maze inside their current home and escape from their confinement.
The problems are numerous, ranging from the fact the Maze is constantly shifting and reforming itself, to the monsters that roam the Maze known as Grievers.
The Gladers have no memory of their lives outside of the Glade and are only able to remember basic skills such as language and their own name.
When the first female to ever enter the Glade enters with a note reading that she will be the final arrival, everything begins to change for the Gladers. The sun vanishes, people start to act strange and supplies cease to be delivered. These are stark differences from the daily life the older Gladers have grown used to.
However “The Maze Runner” series isn’t Dashner’s first time dabbling into this type of story. Dashner’s previous series called “The 13th Reality” had its first book “The Journal of Curious Letters” released a year before “The Maze Runner” hit shelves.
After that, both series arrived on shelves with the rest of “The 13th Reality” books coming out in 2009, 2010 and 2012.
Learning about a tragedy that may fall upon reality itself, Higginbottom takes up the call of solving riddles from future letters as well as gaining companions on his journey.
Both Dashner’s series have been well received by audiences and critics alike. One review by Kirkus Reviews said “The Maze Runner” is “hard to put down.”
Kirkus Reviews also talked about “The 13th Reality.” They referred to it as “the start of a series that will capture the imagination of young and old alike.”
Dashner was born on Nov. 26, 1972 in Austell, Georgia. He is one of six children and attended Duluth High School and Brigham Young University in Utah. He received his master’s degree in accounting there. His wife Lynette and him now live in Utah with their four children. Dashner has been an active author since 2003 and has been writing new books ever since.
Erika Brandenburg
Staff Writer