Maze Runner: The Death Cure
The final chapter in a gripping dystopian saga, "Maze Runner: The Death Cure" brings a thrilling conclusion to Thomas's harrowing journey through a world ravaged by a deadly virus. This film faced extraordinary challenges during its production, pushing the boundaries of what it takes to bring an epic story to the big screen. Join us as we explore the climatic end to the Maze Runner trilogy and the unexpected turns behind its creation. "The Death Cure" delivers a high-stakes finale, resolving Thomas's long fight against WCKD and his quest for a cure. The film's production was significantly impacted by a serious on-set injury to its lead actor, causing major delays and rescheduling. Despite mixed critical reviews, the movie was a box office success, and the franchise is now poised for a unique 'continuation' rather than a traditional reboot.
AI Summary
The final chapter in a gripping dystopian saga, "Maze Runner: The Death Cure" brings a thrilling conclusion to Thomas's harrowing journey through a world ravaged by a deadly virus. This film faced extraordinary challenges during its production, pushing the boundaries of what it takes to bring an epic story to the big screen. Join us as we explore the climatic end to the Maze Runner trilogy and the unexpected turns behind its creation.
- "The Death Cure" delivers a high-stakes finale, resolving Thomas's long fight against WCKD and his quest for a cure.
- The film's production was significantly impacted by a serious on-set injury to its lead actor, causing major delays and rescheduling.
- Despite mixed critical reviews, the movie was a box office success, and the franchise is now poised for a unique 'continuation' rather than a traditional reboot.
The End of the Maze
In 2018, audiences were finally treated to "Maze Runner: The Death Cure"—the climatic third and final installment in the acclaimed dystopian science fiction film series. Directed by Wes Ball and penned by T. S. Nowlin, this film brought James Dashner's best-selling novel to life, promising an epic conclusion to the Gladers' desperate fight for survival.
Many familiar faces returned to reprise their roles, including Dylan O'Brien as Thomas, Kaya Scodelario as Teresa, and Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Newt. The stellar ensemble cast, a cornerstone of the franchise's appeal, was also joined by the versatile Walton Goggins, adding a fresh dynamic to the film's gritty world.
A Daring Rescue
The story plunges us back into a world where Thomas, Newt, and Frypan are among the last 'free' Gladers, aligning with the resistance group, the Right Arm. Their mission: rescue immune children from WCKD, the nefarious organization behind the deadly Flare virus and the torturous mazes. A critical piece of intelligence reveals that their friend Minho, captured by WCKD, is headed to the heavily guarded 'Last City'—WCKD's central stronghold.
Driven by loyalty, Thomas, Newt, and Frypan defy orders and embark on a perilous journey to the Last City to save Minho. WCKD, in its relentless pursuit of a cure, is torturing Minho and other immune children. Along the way, our heroes face dangerous 'Cranks'—humans infected by the Flare—but find unexpected help from allies Jorge and Brenda, who join their desperate quest.
Reaching the colossal wall of the Last City, the group encounters masses of infected protesters demanding entry, only to be met with WCKD's brutal force. Amidst the chaos, they are captured, but a stunning revelation awaits: one of their masked captors is Gally, previously thought dead! Gally leads them to Lawrence, a rebellion leader, who helps Thomas, Newt, Gally, and Frypan infiltrate the city.
Inside the city's walls, Gally helps Thomas spot Teresa, devising a plan to gain access to WCKD headquarters. However, a heartbreaking revelation shatters Thomas's resolve: Newt is infected with the Flare. Promising to find a cure for his friend, Thomas and Gally capture Teresa, using her to navigate the WCKD facility. Gally stays behind to protect the Immune children and find a serum to slow the virus's progression.
Thomas, Teresa, and Newt race to find Minho, but their infiltration is discovered, leading to a harrowing chase with Janson. Teresa, after obtaining a sample of Thomas's blood, allows them to escape, believing it holds the key to a cure. Indeed, her tests confirm Thomas's blood is the cure, a discovery she shares with WCKD's leader, Ava Paige, setting off a desperate scramble to recapture Thomas.
As Lawrence makes the ultimate sacrifice, blowing a hole in the city wall to unleash his rebel forces, Gally reunites with Thomas, Newt, and Minho. But time is running out for Newt. Consumed by the Flare, he tragically takes his own life, begging Thomas to end his suffering. A devastated Thomas returns to WCKD, confronting Paige, determined to bring an end to the madness.
Inside WCKD, the infected Janson betrays and kills Paige, sedating Thomas to extract his blood. Teresa, realizing Janson's selfish motives, frees Thomas, leading to a brutal showdown where Janson meets his demise. As the building collapses around them, Thomas and Teresa escape to the roof. With the cure now in hand, Teresa makes a final, heroic sacrifice, ensuring Thomas's escape as she falls to her death.
The surviving Gladers and Immunes finally reach a safe haven—a pristine island where they can rebuild civilization, free from WCKD and the Flare. Thomas discovers a poignant note inside Newt's pendant, a final message from his friend, asking him to look after everyone and thanking him for their bond. It's a bittersweet end, a new beginning forged from immense loss.
Behind the Scenes
Bringing this epic conclusion to the screen was no small feat. Development began swiftly, with T. S. Nowlin returning to adapt the novel and Wes Ball confirmed as director in 2015. Initially, "The Death Cure" was slated for a February 2017 release, building on the success of its predecessors.
However, production hit a major snag shortly after principal photography began in Vancouver in March 2016. Lead actor Dylan O'Brien sustained severe injuries during a stunt, leading to his hospitalization and an immediate, indefinite shutdown of filming. What was initially hoped to be a short delay stretched into a year, as O'Brien's recovery proved more extensive than anticipated.
Filming finally resumed in March 2017, relocating to the striking landscapes of Cape Town, South Africa. This extended hiatus allowed for adjustments, including the addition of Walton Goggins to the cast as Lawrence, a pivotal and enigmatic new character. Principal photography officially wrapped in June 2017, a testament to the crew's resilience and dedication.
A Global Release
The production delays naturally impacted the release schedule, with 20th Century Fox pushing the premiere date multiple times. After several adjustments, "The Death Cure" finally premiered on January 26, 2018, and was released theatrically, including in IMAX, bringing the trilogy to its much-anticipated conclusion. The film ultimately grossed over $288 million worldwide against a production budget of $62 million, proving a commercial success.
Domestically, "The Death Cure" opened to $24.2 million in its first weekend, topping the box office, though slightly below its predecessors' debuts. Internationally, the film was a powerhouse, dominating the box office in its initial weeks, particularly in territories like South Korea, Australia, and Taiwan. Its global performance underscored the franchise's enduring appeal.
Critical Crossroads
When the dust settled, critical reception for "The Death Cure" was mixed. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported a 43% approval rating, with critics praising the cast, action, and visual effects but often faulting the storyline and character development. Metacritic assigned a weighted average score of 50 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews," while CinemaScore audiences gave it a solid "B+".
Despite the divided critical opinion, the film resonated strongly with its fanbase. "Maze Runner: The Death Cure" received several nominations at the 2018 Teen Choice Awards, including "Choice Action Movie" and individual nods for Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, and Aidan Gillen, highlighting its popularity among its target audience.
Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2018 Teen Choice Awards Choice Action Movie Maze Runner: The Death Cure Nominated Teen Choice Awards Choice Action Movie Actor Dylan O'Brien Nominated Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Ship Dylan O'Brien & Kaya Scodelario Nominated Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Villain Aidan Gillen Nominated
Beyond the Cure
While "The Death Cure" brought the original trilogy to a definitive close, the story of the Maze Runner universe might not be over. Following Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox, new Maze Runner films were confirmed to be in development in April 2019, sparking excitement among fans about the franchise's potential future.
Fast forward to May 2024, and more details emerged. Director Wes Ball is set to return as a producer, with Jack Paglen attached as writer for a new installment. Described as neither a full reboot nor a direct sequel, this new film aims to be a 'continuation'—blending fresh narratives with the beloved elements that captivated audiences in the original trilogy.
Article
Maze Runner: The Death Cure
Maze Runner: The Death Cure (also known simply as The Death Cure) is a 2018 American dystopian science fiction film directed by Wes Ball and with a screenplay by T. S. Nowlin, based on the 2011 novel The Death Cure written by James Dashner. It is the sequel to the 2015 film Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials and the third and final installment in the Maze Runner film series. Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Patricia Clarkson, Ki Hong Lee, Dexter Darden, Giancarlo Esposito, Aidan Gillen, Barry Pepper, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jacob Lofland, Katherine McNamara, Rosa Salazar, and Will Poulter reprise their roles from the previous films with Walton Goggins joining the cast.
Maze Runner: The Death Cure was originally set to be released on February 17, 2017, in the United States by 20th Century Fox, but the studio rescheduled the film's release for January 26, 2018, allowing time for O'Brien to recover from injuries he sustained during filming. The film received mixed reviews from critics with praise for the cast performances, action sequences and visual effects but criticism for the storyline, screenplay and character development. The film grossed over $288 million worldwide.
Plot
Maze Runner: The Death Cure
Thomas, Newt, and Frypan, the last of the free "Gladers", join with the Right Arm resistance to retrieve other Immunes from a carriage of a train operated by WCKD, the organization responsible for capturing and experimenting on immune children, including Aris and Sonya. Aris tells Thomas that Minho, their Glader friend whom World Catastrophe Killzone Department (WCKD) had captured, was on a different carriage and is headed to the "Last City", WCKD's base of operations.
Against the orders of Vince, the leader of the Right Arm, the three head to the Last City to rescue Minho. WCKD is torturing Minho and several other children in the hope of developing a cure for the virus. The group is attacked by Cranks, humans infected with the Flare. However, Jorge and Brenda join them and save them.
The group makes it to the wall of the Last City, which is heavily fortified. Outside the wall, people are rallying in protest to be let into the city. When WCKD opens fire at the protesters, the group is captured and taken to a hideout by a crew wearing gas masks. One of the members is revealed to be Gally, who was presumed dead. He then takes them to meet Lawrence, a rebellion leader, who helps Thomas, Newt, Gally, and Frypan enter the Last City.
Gally takes Thomas and Newt on a city tour and, after spotting Teresa, tells Thomas that he can get them into WCKD headquarters. Newt then shows Thomas that he is infected. Promising to cure him, Thomas and Gally capture Teresa. Disguised as WCKD soldiers, they escort her inside WCKD headquarters and toward the location of the Immunes. Gally looks after the Immune children and stays to find a serum that slows the Flare.
Thomas, Teresa, and Newt go to find Minho but are discovered and chased by Janson. Teresa lets them escape to find Minho before going to do a blood test on Thomas' blood, obtained when she was removing trackers from the Gladers. After delivering the Immune children and the serum to Brenda, Gally returns to WCKD headquarters to find Thomas. Brenda is forced to flee with the Immune children to avoid capture. Thomas and Newt reunite with Minho and escape from the WCKD building. Teresa discovers that Thomas' blood can cure the Flare. She shares her discovery with WCKD's leader, Ava Paige, who agrees they must find Thomas. Brenda and the Immune children escape WCKD with Frypan's help.
Meanwhile, Lawrence rallies his rebels outside the city before sacrificing himself to blow a hole in the wall, allowing his allies and the infected people to storm the city. Gally saves Thomas, Newt, and Minho from WCKD soldiers. While Minho and Gally go to get the serum from Brenda, Thomas gets a pendant from Newt before he passes out. Teresa transmits her voice throughout the city and tells Thomas that his blood can save Newt if he returns to WCKD. Nearly consumed by the Flare, Newt regains consciousness and attacks, then begs Thomas to kill him. When he refuses, Newt fatally stabs himself with his own knife. Thomas returns to the WCKD facility and confronts Paige.
While Paige talks with Thomas, Janson, who is also infected by the Flare, kills her and sedates him. Teresa successfully removes some of his blood. When she hears that Janson is only interested in curing himself and others he deems worthy, Teresa knocks him out and frees Thomas. Thomas then fights with Janson and releases two Cranks, who kill him. With the building on fire, Thomas and Teresa escape to the roof, and she gives him the cure. The rest of the team arrives on a Berg. Teresa helps an injured Thomas on board, but the building collapses, and she falls to her death.
The group escapes with the rest of the Immunes to a safe haven island where the remaining population can live safely and rebuild civilization. Thomas discovers that Newt's pendant has a note in it, asking him to look after everyone and thanking him for being his friend.
Production
Development
In March 2015, it was confirmed that T. S. Nowlin, who co-wrote the first and wrote the second film, would adapt Maze Runner: The Death Cure. On September 16, 2015, it was confirmed that Ball would return to direct the final film.
Filming
Principal photography began on March 14, 2016, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Previously it was revealed at San Diego Comic-Con that filming would begin in February 2016.
On March 18, 2016, it was reported that actor Dylan O'Brien had been hospitalized for injuries sustained on set during filming. James Dashner announced via Twitter that the production had been postponed after the accident. Producers were reported to be "looking to" resume filming around mid-May. According to the Directors Guild of Canada's production list, the film was scheduled to resume filming on May 9, and complete principal photography on July 26. However, on April 29, 2016, production was shut down indefinitely as O'Brien's injuries were revealed to be more serious than previously thought.
Filming resumed on March 6, 2017, in Cape Town, South Africa. In May 2017, it was announced that Walton Goggins would play the part of Lawrence, described as "an unusual and dangerous character who is part-revolutionary, part-anarchist, and a voice for the voiceless people." Principal photography wrapped on June 3, 2017.
Visual effects
The visual effects were provided by Weta Digital and supervised by Chris White.
Release
Maze Runner: The Death Cure
The Death Cure was originally scheduled to be released in the United States on February 17, 2017. However, due to O'Brien's injuries, the studio said that it was unlikely that this date was going to be met. On May 27, 2016, 20th Century Fox rescheduled the film for January 12, 2018.
On April 22, 2017, the studio delayed the release date once again, to February 9, 2018, in order to allow more time for post-production; months later, on August 25, the studio moved the release forward two weeks. The film premiered on January 26, 2018, and was released theatrically in IMAX.
Home media
Maze Runner: The Death Cure was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on April 24, 2018.
Reception
Box office
Maze Runner: The Death Cure grossed $58 million in the United States and Canada, and $230.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $288.2 million, against a production budget of $62 million.
In the United States and Canada, The Death Cure was released alongside the wide expansion of Hostiles, and was expected to gross around $20 million from 3,786 theaters in its opening weekend. The film made $1.5 million from Thursday night previews, in between the $1.1 million made by the first film and $1.7 million by the second, and $8.4 million on its first day. It ended up opening to $24.2 million, down from the previous film but still finishing atop the box office. In its second weekend the film dropped 57% to $10.5 million, finishing second behind Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
A week prior to its North American release, the film debuted in South Korea, Australia and Taiwan, grossing $15.1 million over its opening weekend. During the first two weeks of international release, the film dominated the international box office taking $62.6 and $35.2 million respectively, and outpacing the two previous films.
Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 43% based on 171 reviews, and an average rating of 5.1/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Maze Runner: The Death Cure may offer closure to fans of the franchise, but for anyone who hasn't already been hooked, this bloated final installment is best left unseen." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 50 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.
Accolades
<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Award</th><th>Category</th><th>Nominee(s)</th><th>Result</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2018</td><td>Teen Choice Awards</td><td>Choice Action Movie</td><td>Maze Runner: The Death Cure</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Choice Action Movie Actor</td><td>Dylan O'Brien</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Choice Movie Ship</td><td>Dylan O'Brien & Kaya Scodelario</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Choice Movie Villain</td><td>Aidan Gillen</td><td>Nominated</td></tr></tbody></table>
Reboot
Maze Runner: The Death Cure
Following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney in March 2019, Disney confirmed in April 2019 at their CinemaCon presentation that new Maze Runner films were in development.
In May 2024, it was announced that a reboot was in development, with Wes Ball returning as a producer and Jack Paglen hired as writer. The new installment was described as "not a redo of the story nor ... a direct sequel to the original trilogy" but "a sort of continuation ... yet also return to the elements that made the first movie connect with its audience".