The Maze Runner
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Short description
Thomas wakes in a moving lift with no memory beyond his first name. When the doors open, he steps into a clearing: a walled community of boys his own age, all of them amnesiac, all of them surviving on what they can grow and on rules they have built for themselves. Beyond the walls lies a vast maze whose doors open each day and close again at night, and every thirty days the lift delivers another newcomer. Thomas's arrival unsettles the group, and he soon joins the runners who map the maze, pressing for answers about who put them there and why.
The film is based on James Dashner's novel and was directed by Wes Ball, his first feature, followed by two further Maze Runner instalments in 2015 and 2018 before Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes in 2024. Noah Oppenheim, Grant Pierce Myers and T.S. Nowlin wrote the screenplay, and the cast is led by Dylan O'Brien as Thomas, with Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ki Hong Lee, Will Poulter and Aml Ameen. Released in September 2014, it cost about 34 million dollars and took roughly 348 million worldwide, a strong return on its budget.
Audience scores sit at 6.8 on IMDb from some 559,000 votes and 7.2 on TMDB from a much smaller base, while the critics' rating of 5.9 from 173 reviews places it below both audience measures.
What's left behind the scenes
- The film is based on James Dashner's novel 'The Maze Runner' (2009).
- Brenton Thwaites and Connor Paolo auditioned for the role of Thomas, which ultimately went to Dylan O'Brien.
- Filming began in May 2013 and lasted 42 days.
- In April 2014, a viral marketing campaign was launched with the release of a website about the organization W.C.K.D. – wckdisgood.com.
- Initially, Catherine Hardwicke was planned to direct the film.
- Of all the British actors, only Thomas Sangster, who plays Newt, speaks with a British accent in the film.
- The forest and meadow of the Glade were filmed on location in Louisiana. There were so many venomous snakes there that a herpetologist went through the set every day before work began, collecting the reptiles that had wandered onto the grounds to ensure the safety of the crew. A total of 25 venomous snakes were found. The largest of them was a six-foot rattlesnake.
- To prepare for filming, director Wes Ball required the actors to spend a night in a camp set up at the filming location.
- Vika Godfry's three children, who had read the book on which the film is based, helped him with advice during the casting process. He showed them audition tapes and then listened to their feedback.
- The walls and doors of the Labyrinth set were 6 meters high. The filmmakers used optical illusions and computer graphics to make the set appear 30 meters high.
- Initially, Wes Ball discussed with representatives of 20th Century Fox the possibility of filming a feature-length version of his film – “Ruins” (2012). He was eventually offered to direct “The Maze Runner” (2014), and he agreed.
- On July 25, 2014, at Comic-Con in San Diego as part of a 20th Century Fox presentation, the film was unveiled, attended by the book's author James Dashner, director Wes Ball, and the lead actors Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, and Will Poulter.
- Dylan O'Brien's hairstyle almost cost him the role of Thomas. Director Wes Ball disliked his “MTV” style. Ball changed his mind when he received a photo of O'Brien where his hair wasn't styled with gel.
- To land the role of Chuck, actor Blake Cooper relentlessly pursued an audition via Twitter. He bombarded director Wes Ball with tweets for a long time, stating that he was simply born for the role. Eventually, Wes Ball took pity on Cooper and told him to send his audition tape to the head of casting, who declared that Cooper was the perfect Chuck.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
