If you caught last year’s drowsy Southern drama, Mud, the name Jacob Lofland will be one you might recognise. Failing that, his character’s monicker Neckbone might ring a bell. In Jeff Nichols’ insightful childhood pic, Lofland rose above the slumbering pace of the otherwise cracking movie. His quick delivery and earnestness marked him as a promising star to keep an eye on. Now, that promise has come to pass, as Lofland has been cast in YA sequel, Maze Runner: Scorch Trials.
Lofland will play Aris Jones, a kid with a mysterious connection to the maze. After the original tribe of kids are on the loose after their escape, they encounter Aris, who could help them to discover more about the maze’s history. Lofland’s an up-and-coming talent, who will no doubt be a brilliant addition to the youthful ensemble.
After the massive success of the original at the box office – $152 million worldwide to date – Fox sent the sequel into production. Based on the trilogy of novels from YA author James Dashner, the second outing looks set to carry on the adventures of the book series. Currently in the realms of pre-production, the majority of the main cast from the original have all signed on to return, with Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario and Thomas Brodie-Sangster all in line to reprise their roles.
The sequel will continue the story of those who survived the maze, and are now on the run in a world ravaged by disease and destruction. This time around, a second group of kids will enter the mix, headed up by Rosa Salazar’s Brenda, who join forces with Thomas (O’Brien) and his merry band of chums called The Gladers. Their main adversary will be Janson, aka Rat-Man, who’s set to be played by Game Of Thrones star, Aiden Gillen.
Maze Runner: Scorch Trials is set for release on September 18th, 2015.