Who knew that Hollywood would form such a holy (or should we say, financially sound) union between the post-apocalyptic and young-adult genres on screen? With The Hunger Games and, to a lesser extent, Divergent already blazing a lucrative path to filmic success, the latest budding addition to the pack is 20th Century Fox’s The Maze Runner.
Adapted from James Dashner’s eponymous novel, the story orbits around Thomas, an unassuming teenager who wakes in the centre of a gargantuan labyrinth. With his mind scrambled and no memory of the outside world to speak of, he must make allies with other boys who face a similar fate. That fate, essentially, involves staying alive. A task that isn’t exactly a walk in the park within a dynamic, ever-evolving maze.
Our protagonist is thereby welcomed into the Glade, a tight-knit community that are forced to rely on weekly drops of food for survival. However, when a mysterious girl is welcomed into the fray, Thomas is forced to venture into the maze to discover clues pertaining to his nebulous past all the while avoiding mechanical grievers who stalk the area come nightfall.
From the footage released, it seems as though the film inadvertently gleams inspiration from the aforementioned Katniss Everdeen-led series. That said, The Maze Runner appears to feature an array of impressive and large-scale visual effects; plus, considering that the studio is preparing a sequel — entitled The Scroch Trails — in the wings should this release prove to be a financial hit, Dashner’s creation could well enter the rather overcrowded YA genre with aplomb. Time will tell.
Fans of James Dashner’s dystopian novel will be pleased to know that The Maze Runner is slated for release on September 19th.