It wasn’t so long ago that we brought you the news that Wes Ball — director behind recently-released young adult movie, The Maze Runner — has already mapped out plans for a potential follow-up. And so, following the first film’s impressive bow at the weekend box office, 20th Century Fox has given the go-ahead for a direct sequel.
Based on the second book in James Dashner’s post-apocalyptic trilogy, the studio’s second instalment is set to be titled The Scorch Trails, which will orbit around Thomas and the other Gladers’ adventures beyond the gargantuan walls of the maze. It’s set to arrive in theatres on September 18th, 2015.
Undoubtedly, Ball’s big screen adaptation hit the ground running and managed to pull in $32.5 million at the domestic box office over the course of the weekend. In fact, The Maze Runner pulled past This Is Where I Leave You and Liam Nesson’s A Walk Among the Tombstones, which is a solid indicator of the IP’s franchise credentials.
While not much is known about The Scorch Trials at this early stage, we understand that Wes Ball will indeed return to direct, with scripting duties being handed to T.S. Nowin following his work on the first film. Given that 20th Century Fox has slated the sequel for September of next year, the next chapter in Dashner’s YA series will face stiff competition in the form of the as-yet-untitled Whitey Bulger biopic and Universal’s Everest, which stars Jake Gyllenhaal.
Fans of The Maze Runner will no doubt be overjoyed by the studio’s announcement, and can look forward to The Scorch Trails when it races into theatres on September 18th, 2015. In the meantime, be sure to check out our own glowing review, which concluded with the following:
Dark, dangerous and uncommonly thrilling, The Maze Runner is that rarest and most satisfying of series starters – one that keeps you on the edge of your seat and leaves you eagerly awaiting the next installment.