What Maze Runner 4 should be About
With a new Maze Runner installment in development, there are some possibilities of where to take this franchise. Let's break them down.
Last year it was announced that a new Maze Runner movie is in development. We still know nothing about it. While it was called “a reboot”, at the same time it was announced as a sort of a continuation to the original saga. So, what this should this movie be?
Here are some options.
A complete reboot
I think the chances are pretty slim. The first movie debuted a decade ago, while the third movie, Maze Runner: The Death Cure debuted in 2018. It’s too soon for a complete reboot. The trilogy holds up incredibly well, and above everything, the casting was perfect. Most people I know watched The Maze Runner especially because of the likes of Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario and Thomas Brodie-Sangster. Recasting these roles will be pretty tough.
An adaptation of the prequel “The Kill Order”
After the original trilogy was completed, James Dashner wrote two prequels: The Kill Order and The Fever Code. The latter is a direct prequel about the main characters as kids, but I think it will be tough to create, especially given the fact that the movies change lots of elements from the books. The Kill Order, on the other hand, is a strong possibility. It follows new characters during the apocalypse and only in the end connects to the overall saga. It’s a fast-paced story which will work great as an apocalyptic movie.
A spin off about the other maze
As you know, there was more than one maze. In the books there were two, while in the movie it implies that there were lots of mazes. The famous “other maze” is the maze of Group B – The girls. Their story was nearly identical to the first maze, except the fact that it was an all-girls maze, and in the end a boy was sent to their maze. This could be a nice companion movie, the same story with a different angle, so that’s another strong possibility.
Adapting the sequel trilogy
In 2022, James Dashner started a new trilogy (called The Maze Cutter) which is set 73 years after the original. It follows the descendants of the characters from the original books, and it features new threats. I think this is the strongest option. It can give the audience enough connections to the original trilogy they know and love, but at the same time tell a complete new story. It’s not unlike the new Planet of the Apes movie, which is set approximately 300 years after the last trilogy, and it was directed by Wes Ball, who directed the entire Maze Runner trilogy.
An original direct sequel
I think this is the safest option. Creating a movie that is set a few years after the last movie and follows Dylan O'Brien once again as the main lead. This could do very well at the box office, especially if they’ll give other actors such as Giancarlo Esposito, Katherine McNamara, Nathalie Emmanuel and Barry Pepper to do more this time around. As long as they can keep the budget in line with the previous movies (around 60 million) it can still gross less than them and give the studio a solid profit.
What about a director?
It seems like Wes Ball won’t return to direct (though he will still produce), so I have few options: Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane, Prey), Brian Buffled (No One Will Save You, Spontaneous), Michael Matthews (Love and Monsters, Nautilus) and Fede Álvarez (Alien: Romulus, Don’t Breathe). Although I wouldn’t be surprised it will be an unknown director who is a master of VFX that Wes Ball himself will pick.
As always, we’ll see…