Production on the third (and final) Maze Runner pic hit a serious snag a little over a month ago when star Dylan O’Brien was involved in a nasty accident and got hurt – pretty badly, from the sounds of it, though there were conflicting reports about the specifics of his injuries. Regardless, the kid was out of commission for a good long stretch. Though there was hope at the outset that the actor would recover quickly enough to let shooting continue on a slightly delayed timetable, Fox ended up halting production indefinitely in order to let O’Brien heal.
Now, the studio has adjusted its schedule accordingly, shifting Maze Runner: The Death Cure from February 17 next year to January 12, 2018. No word yet on when the shoot will pick up again, as director Wes Ball has stated he’s simply abiding by O’Brien’s wishes and waiting until he feels fully ready to recommit, but that new date suggests we’ll hear something about cameras rolling again well before year’s end.
The Maze Runner series is one of this author’s favorite YA franchises currently running through the multiplex, so it’s relieving to see that Fox doesn’t think O’Brien’s injuries will permanently delay the film. Word from the studio and others around the project is that the kid is one tough cookie, and he’s just as committed as the rest of them to bringing the story he started back in 2014 to a conclusion.
As Fox partook in a little schedule rejiggering, some other interesting announcements included:
- Murder on the Orient Express has moved from November 10, 2017 to Wednesday, November 22, 2017.
- Red Sparrow has been dated for November 10, 2017.
- Predator is up a month, moving from March 2, 2018 to February 9, 2018.
- Two untitled Fox/Marvel titles have been shifted – one moves from January 12, 2018 to March 2, 2018, and the other from July 13, 2018 to June 29, 2018.