The Maze Runner series by James Dashner has captured the imaginations of millions of readers across the globe. But why has this dystopian young adult series struck such a chord? At its heart, the Maze Runner taps into universal human themes we can all relate to - the desire for belonging, the will to survive, the longing for purpose.
When we first meet our protagonist Thomas, he embodies that profound human fear of the unknown. Awakening in an unfamiliar place, stripped of memories, Thomas is the epitome of the displaced person. Thrust into the Glade, that small haven surrounded by towering walls and the looming Maze, Thomas experiences that basic human drive for community, for placeholders and meaning. His distress mirrors what anyone might feel emerging from amnesia into a foreign environment. Thomas is us, grappling for understanding and seeking connection with others just as lost - the Gladers who share his frightening predicament.
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As Thomas forms tentative bonds with Chuck and Newt, we too gain comfort from these sympathetic characters. Chuck’s good-natured humor and Newt’s quiet wisdom reaffirm hope. If Thomas can find friendship amidst such bizarre adversity, there must be light ahead. But the relative safety of the Glade is repeatedly shattered by the horrors beyond its walls. With each ‘Griever’ attack, each life lost to the Maze’s dangers, we share the Gladers’ visceral fear. Thrust back into survival mode, pinned by traumatic memories unlocked by the Changing, Thomas loses any sense of refuge. We as readers plunge with him into that abyss of confusion and dread. Every time the Maze’s walls shift, we feel the Ground move under our feet. Thomas’s anxiety becomes our own.
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But the Gladers’ brotherly code of loyalty resonates with our idea of what it means to be human. Despite simmering tensions, when Gally argues to abandon Alby to the Maze, Newt refuses, as do the other Gladers in a stirring show of solidarity. “No one gets left behind”. When terrified Minho admits he abandoned Alby, unable to face a Griever, Thomas volunteers to venture out, refusing to sentence his Keeper to certain death. Risking one’s life for others strikes that heroic ideal inside us all. Through Thomas, we get to prove our own courage and honor.
| Name | The Maze Runner |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Wes Ball |
| Produced by | Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen, Lee Stollman |
| Screenplay by | Noah Oppenheim, Grant Pierce Myers, T.S. Nowlin |
| Based on | The Maze Runner by James Dashner |
| Starring | Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster |
| Music by | John Paesano |
| Cinematography | Enrique Chediak |
| Edited by | Dan Zimmerman |
| Production companies | Gotham Group, Temple Hill Entertainment, TSG Entertainment |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date | September 19, 2014 |
| Running time | 113 minutes |
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The Maze Runner is packed with physical trials - An all-night run facing Grievers, navigating a devastating wasteland of sun flares, penetrating the Last City where WICKED holds sway. These breakneck obstacles fulfill our human love of adventure tales and overcoming odds through endurance and wit. But Dashner’s series transcends mere excitement. At its core lies a provocative moral dilemma: would you sacrifice some to save many? The mounting evidence of WICKED’s intentions provokes intense self-reflection. As Thomas grapples with breach of ethics vs service for some greater good, so do we wrestle with that impossible question.
Through flashbacks, we glean the world behind WICKED, how a virus thrust civilization into chaos. Not unlike the COVID pandemic, this premise cuts close to home, a visceral fear we now all share. We connect deeply to that premise of society collapsing. But in WICKED’s attempted cure, mandated by fate’s random lottery, we recoil at the clinical sacrifice of children like pawns. That wrenching separation of Thomas from his mother while she can only watch through one-way glass - this loss symbolizes what it means to be stripped of agency, a violation of free-will that robs us of an essential human dignity.
Yet Thomas retains an intrinsic human drive to make meaning out of trauma, to rewrite fate’s design with choices of his own. In many ways, Thomas’ rebellion against WICKED’s proclaimed greater purpose echoes the great coming-of-age tales. We celebrate his refusal to accept the end reflects the means, proof one heart can rewrite supposedly immutable words like “destiny”. Behind Thomas’s resistance spurs a universally uplifting theme - the resilience of the human spirit.
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While adults write WICKED’s clinical justifications, Dasnher hands the pen to his young characters. And they compose an inspiring response through camaraderie and hope. Despite pre-scripted Trials calculated to harden Thomas’s brain for cure data, his compassion for companions only magnifies - whether insisting Minho board the rescue Berg or vowing to return to the Scorch to free leaving Gladers. This loyalty conveys that essential human connectivity the sterile lab coats behind WICKED’s mirror can’t compute.
There is an undeniable catharsis to ending large-scale dystopias like WICKED and the Flare virus. Good triumphs, balance is restored to nature, and the human spirit prevails through rebuilt bonds. But Dashner leaves lingering uncertainty too, bittersweet clues that while Thomas regained many memories, including his mother’s fate, past trauma can’t be fully undone. Scars remain.
Will There Be Part 4 of Maze Runner?
The Maze Runner series by James Dashner consisted of 5 books - The Maze Runner (2009), The Scorch Trials (2010), The Death Cure (2011), The Kill Order (2012), and The Fever Code (2016).
The movie franchise adapted the first 3 books into films - The Maze Runner (2014), Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015), and Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018). The third movie wrapped up the major plotlines from the books, leaving Thomas and the surviving Gladers finally free from WICKED in a safe haven.
Is there a new Maze Runner movie coming out 2025?
While fans would definitely love to see more on-screen adventures with Dylan O’Brien as Thomas and the rest of the cast, there has been no word from the studios, producers, director or author about plans for another installment.
The Maze Runner series concluded on a bittersweet but hopeful note, so a continuation would likely require coming up with an all-new storyline. Whether Dashner ever writes a follow-up book, or the studios decide to resurrect the franchise remains to be seen. For now, fans will have to be content revisiting the thrilling dystopian world already created.
The future is uncertain, but we can continue to cherish what the existing Maze Runner books and movies have brought to legions of loyal fans worldwide. Perhaps one day we’ll get to run the Maze again…
Where can I watch Maze Runner 4?
As of now, there have been no official announcements regarding a Maze Runner 5 or fourth movie from the studios, producers, directors or actors. The cast and crew have expressed interest in potential sequels, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
While many fans would love to see Dylan O’Brien return as Thomas along with other characters, the studio may feel the story has reached a fitting conclusion for now. If Dashner were to write another novel continuing this universe, it could certainly revive interest. But only time will tell if we ever get more Maze Runner on page or screen.
For now, fans will have to tide themselves over with re-reads, rewatches, and keeping their fingers crossed for some surprise future announcement!
Conclusion
By refusing closure, Dashner stays true to life’s realities. Not all damage can be erased. But the heart beats on. Thomas still hopes for a better world, even if he can only “imagine” this rebirth thus far. He uplifts that timeless hero’s journey towards progress over perfection. The courage to stand up when odds seem overwhelming, the resilience to confront darkness with light – these inspire on the last page…and long after the book closes.
In Thomas, Newt, Teresa, Brenda, and all fellow Gladers, we recognize familiar hopes, fears, stories of survival againstforces beyond control. Their plight resonates on such a profoundly recognizable level. And like Thomas, Dashner leaves us gazing up from the pit, raising our eyes once more to the possibility of blue sky.
Read the Filmmaker's Guide to Africa featuring #DeathCure stills by the talented Joe Alblas: https://t.co/cJkXhLAYsh pic.twitter.com/6RDXghH57S
— Maze Runner News (@MazeRunnerWW) May 18, 2018