Dylan O'Brien The Maze Runner

Dylan O'Brien The Maze Runner

Cast: Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Will Poulter, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Aml Ameen
Director: Wes Ball
Genre: Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Rated: PG
Running Time: 113 minutes

Synopsis: Based on the best-selling young adult thriller, The Maze Runner is set in a post-apocalyptic world, where Thomas is deposited in a community of young men after his memory is erased. After learning they're all trapped in a maze, Thomas joins forces with fellow 'runners" to not only escape the maze, but solve its riddle and reveal the chilling secret of who brought them there, and why.

The Maze Runner
Release Date:
September 18th, 2014

About The Production

Runners' Code:

Never Stop Running
Always Be Alert
Bring Back Hope

Thomas wakes up in a lift, moving slowly upward. As the box grinds to a halt and the doors open, he s finds himself among a colony of boys who welcome him to the Glade – a large open expanse surrounded by enormous concrete walls. Thomas' mind is blank. He has no knowledge of where he is, doesn't know where he came from, and he can't remember his parents, his past, or even his own name.

Thomas and his fellow 'Gladers" don't know how or why they got to the Glade. They only know that each morning, giant concrete doors that lead to the Maze open. Every night at sunset they close. And every thirty days, a new boy arrives in the lift. The predictable behavior of the Maze made Thomas' arrival expected. What's not expected is having the box appear again, less than a week later, carrying Teresa, the first girl to arrive in the Glade.

Thomas learns that each resident of the Glade has a role to play, from gardening to construction to being one of the elite runners who map the walls of the Maze that keep them captive and change configurations every night. Maze Runners race the clock to cover as much ground as possible before the end of the day when the Maze locks down and the deadly biomechanical Grievers roam the corridors of the concrete structure.

Even as a newcomer or 'greenie," Thomas feels an unsettling familiarity about the Glade and the Maze. There is something locked away in his memories that might, in fact, be the key to solving the mysteries of the Maze and possibly the world beyond.

The Maze Runner is based upon the first book in a bestselling series by James Dashner. Published in October 2009, the novel became a New York Times Best Seller and captured the imaginations of readers around the world, who described it as a combination of Lord of the Flies, The Hunger Games, and the legendary television series Lost. Dashner understands those comparisons, especially to Lord of the Flies, but notes that The Maze Runner is at its heart a very different story. 'I don't think characters would react they way they do in Lord of the Flies," he explains. 'I think they'd be more civilized, orderly, and determined to survive and escape. The Maze Runner is an adventure story that's also about hope and the potential of the human spirit."

The book caught the attention of producers Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and Lee Stollman from the management/production company The Gotham Group. 'We see a lot of young adult novels," Stollman explains. 'And you always look for something that has a big world creation with characters that are identifiable and something we haven't seen before," which is what they found in Dashner's book.

To faithfully adapt the novel to the screen, the studio turned to Temple Hill Entertainment producer Wyck Godfrey, who enjoyed tremendous success with the Twilight film series. Wyck Godfrey credits his sons Wyatt and Hudson for making him aware of the Maze Runner book series. 'I immediately said yes when 20th Century Fox came to me with the opportunity because my kids will finally be happy I'm making a movie that works for them," he says.

To capture the big-screen expectations of The Maze Runner's dedicated fans, the production turned to first-time feature film director Wes Ball. Wes  Ball's only previous directorial effort was Ruin, a seven-minute CGI animated short that had become an online phenomenon.

Wes Ball says, 'I have a small visual effects company and I decided that after a couple years of doing other people's work, I wanted to do something for myself. I closed up shop and made Ruin. I put it online and it just kind of exploded through Twitter."

A highly visual, economically told action story set in a futuristic city overgrown with vines, Ruin was conceived as the opening sequence for a feature Wes Ball was hoping to develop. After watching the short, Fox's development team knew that Wes Ball possessed the vision and inventiveness required to bring The Maze Runner to the big screen.

When the Studio suggested he read The Maze Runner, Wes Ball knew it would be his next project. 'I had this really strong image of what it looks like inside the Glade, which I saw as a raw, edgy, blown out, and naturalistic environment with imposing concrete walls surrounding it. I realized that it was a world I wanted to live over the next few years."

Wes Ball was also drawn to the character of Thomas, the story's protagonist. 'Thomas is someone who takes that step forward into the unknown when everyone else takes a step back," the young director says. 'It's this idea that you have to be brave enough to face the unknown if you want to find yourself. Thomas is curious, and some in the Glade perceive that as a threat, but it may be the thing that gets him out of there.

'Additionally, I love movies about world creation, and this film is a world creation, top to bottom. We start in the Glade, which the boys have built, then outside those walls, we enter the grand world of the Maze, and that's a whole different scenario." Wes Ball and Wyck Godfrey began putting together the project's myriad elements. Wyck Godfrey remembers, 'The one thing that blew me away when I first sat down with Wes Ball was that his concept of the Maze went beyond anything I'd imagined."

The next step was to assemble the cast to portray the Gladers, who form a highly functional society as they perform their daily jobs, look out for each other and engage in power struggles as they try to solve the mystery of the Maze. Wyck Godfrey says, 'The casting was one of the most exciting things about the project. The actors really believed in this world, and we went far afield to find them."

Leading the cast is Dylan O'Brien as the resourceful Thomas, who's convinced there's a way out of the Maze. Familiar to fans of the MTV series Teen Wolf, Dylan O'Brien has what Wyck Godfrey calls 'a great everyman quality. Dylan O'Brien is very relatable in the way that recalls the young Tom Hanks. He's not overly glamorous and he's a great athlete. Dylan O'Brien could handle the physical requirements required for the character."

Dylan O'Brien notes that despite the frightening and mystifying circumstances under which Thomas arrives in the Glade, the experience brings out the best in the character. 'Until that moment he wakes up in the lift in the Glade, he's probably led a pretty sheltered life," says the actor. 'Being put in this situation and under those circumstances, allows him to tap into instincts and a kind of heroism that was always inside of him. He doesn't let his fear of this new and unknown world prevent him from being curious about it. It doesn't hold him back."

Thomas comes to learn that he is just one of many who have come up on that elevator once a month over a three year period.
The leader of these Gladers is Alby, who's the closest thing to a father figure. 'Alby is the main dude," says Wes Ball. 'He was the first Glader, the first boy sent up the elevator, and he had to survive an entire month by himself not knowing where he was and without any help. Then the next guy showed up. Alby figured out that order and discipline were necessary to survive in this world. He's very protective of it."

Aml Ameen was cast as the authoritative Alby. Recently seen in Lee Daniels' The Butler, Aml Ameen is 'a great new face," according to Wyck Godfrey. 'He's just got gravitas, like a young Denzel Washington."

Aml Ameen embraced the character's leadership and paternalistic qualities. 'Alby creates a mythology and set of rules for the boys to live by," he explains. 'They are a family and Alby thinks they were all put in the Maze for a reason. But the most important thing is that they stick together. The Gladers are a family. So, Alby embodies all of these beautiful, complex things that actors love to play."

Thomas's nemesis in the Glade is Gally. Smart and intimidating, Gally wants to maintain the status quo and clashes with the new arrival. 'But Gally and Thomas are really two sides of the same coin," notes Wes Ball. 'Thomas fully embraces and charges into the unknown and Gally is all about self-preservation and keeping things safe and normal."

Will Poulter, who starred in the cult film Son of Rambow, and recently showed his comic skill in We're the Millers, portrays Gally. Wyck Godfrey says, 'Will Poulter's the perfect Gally because you don't want to mess with him, and he's an intelligent adversary."

Gally's trust in and insistence on the status quo is not without good reason, says Will Poulter. 'He's not so much the law-keeper as he is a guy who has a lot of faith in the rules, because without them, the Gladers will die," he explains. 'So Gally is quick to speak up and challenge Thomas when those rules aren't respected. To him, those laws are life itself."

Novelist Dashner also rejects the idea that Gally is a villain. 'I wanted to set him up as a major rival to Thomas, but I also wanted readers to empathise with him and understand his beliefs and actions," he says.

Alby's lieutenant, Newt, is played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster, who appears in the hit HBO series Game of Thrones and first gained attention for his performance in Love, Actually. Of Newt, Wyck Godfrey says, 'He's second in command, but not really ready to take charge. Thomas just has this quality I remember from Newt in the book… he's a bit of a rascal."

'Newt is Number 2 in the Glade," echoes Wes Ball. 'If Alby's not there, Newt takes up the reins, but he's not really up to the challenge and it makes a kind of power vacuum with Gally, who prefers to do things his way."

Newt walks with a limp that's not fully explained because it's something he'd prefer not to talk about. Nevertheless, Thomas Brodie-Sangster says the character is 'the fun one of the group, the one that everyone gets along with. The Gladers come to Newt with their problems because they like and trust him."

British actress Kaya Scodelario plays the only young woman among the Gladers, Teresa, who has a mysterious connection with Thomas. Having made her name with the UK TV series Skins, Scodelario impressed the filmmakers by being 'one of the guys," as Wyck Godfrey puts it. 'She's badass, which is what you need to be if you're going to be thrust into the world of the Glade with all these young men."

'Teresa is every bit as tough as the guys," Kaya Scodelario affirms. 'She's independent, feisty and tough and definitely has a -don't-mess-with-me' vibe." Moreover, says Wes Ball, 'she's every bit as mysterious as the Glade and Maze, and when she comes up on that elevator, it all goes really bad."

The elite among the Gladers are called Runners, whose athleticism propels them through the Maze each day, which helps them compile a map of the foreboding structure and, maybe, figure out a way to escape. Their captain is Minho, played by Ki Hong Lee. The young actor grew to understand his position of leadership among the Gladers in a very individual way. 'I looked at the Marines and the Army and, and I consider Minho like a general of the Gladers," Ki Hong Lee explains, 'It's his job to rally the troops."

The youngest Glader is Chuck, a likable and loyal kid who looks up to Thomas and works as a Slopper – the Gladers who aren't good at any of the other jobs. 'He's this adorable kid – sort of like a little brother character," says Wes Ball. 'He tries hard, and nobody expects much out of him, though he gets his hero moments."

Chuck's friendship with Thomas provides some of the film's most fun and heartfelt moments. 'They're more than friends," says Blake Cooper, who takes on the role. 'Thomas is like an older brother and mentor to Chuck. They really look out for each other."

In a contemporary, digitally-fueled take on a classic casting story, Blake Cooper tweeted author Dashner and director Wes Ball to ask if he could audition for the role of Chuck. When the filmmakers saw Blake Cooper's audition tape, the response was unanimous: he was Chuck.

To play the imposing, enigmatic Ava Paige, head of the experimental program called WCKD, about which the Gladers make a startling discovery, the filmmakers cast Patricia Clarkson. The acclaimed actress has starred in films ranging from Martin Scorsese's thriller Shutter Island to the smart teen comedy Easy A, and won Best Supporting Actress from the National Society of Film Critics for The Station Agent.
Ava and WCKD are mysterious entities whose actions reflect some of the story's central themes, such as 'what is good, what is evil, and what do people do when pushed to desperation," says James Dashner. 'So WCKD purposely has this name that leads you to think certain things, but eventually, it gets a little more gray."

About The Film

From its hundred foot high Maze walls overgrown with vines, to the handcrafted look of the Gladers' camp compound, the film's production design brought The Maze Runner to life. The Glade and the Maze were created in practical locations enhanced by visual effects.

As envisioned by Wes Ball and production designer Marc Fisichella, the Maze's massive walls are both modern and ancient. The towering structure's creeping vines and seemingly empty corridors mask a threat that terrifies even the most hardened and veteran Gladers. The hidden creatures, which the kids call Grievers – though none has actually seen one, preys on those who stay too long in the Maze. This means the boys must get out of the Maze before its walls close because nobody survives a night there.

Marc Fisichella talks about designing and building the practical Maze set. 'In the movie, we have a lot of Maze, and of course we're very limited as to how much we can actually create. I came up with a modular concept. We were able to rearrange it and create different corridors and intersections that would satisfy a lot of the blocking in the plot. With different layers of greens and vines and other elements, we were able to change the look of it enough so we could sell it as different parts of the Maze."

He continues, 'We built the Maze walls sixteen feet tall because we were limited as to the height we could build on our stage and allow enough room for lighting up above. Visual effects extended them to a hundred feet." One of the Art Department's biggest engineering tasks was creating a set of practical gates for the Maze. 'The doors themselves were each 20 feet deep and 20 feet tall, with a 20 foot opening," says Marc Fisichella. 'They were mechanical, so they actually opened and closed on cue and we could have the actors running through them, which makes the film more dynamic than shooting it on blue screen." Weighing in at seven thousands pounds each, the doors were moved by the set's visual effects crew. 'It was a challenging installation, to say the least, since we did it out in a field far from our home base," he adds.

Marc Fisichella had an innovative way to make each Glader's hut look authentic and unique to each character. 'The last thing I wanted was for each one to look like they were designed and conceived by one person. I wanted each one to have a personal touch, so we had different crews building all the different huts."

His crew also made excellent use of the ample building materials at their disposal. 'We harvested just about everything we built with right on that property. It was like having our own Glade hardware store right in our backyard, which saved us a lot of time. Every time we needed another piece, we'd just run into the woods and get it."

In the story, the Map Room is where the Runners have poured all their knowledge of the Maze gleaned from their risky daily expeditions. 'I felt the Map Room should be tucked away, not in plain sight of the Glade, so we chose a spot deep into the woods which was very pretty and overgrown," says Marc Fisichella. 'It was sort of mysterious when you have that fog settling in. We decided to shoot it practically [on location in Lousiana], the inside as well as outside, so we could get all the shafts of light coming through the cracks in the sticks, and be able to see the lush foliage through the walls."

Sometimes artistic inspiration can even enhance the original story. Marc Fisichella explains, 'The Map Room's centerpiece is the map table, which was one of my favorite pieces in the movie. The Runners go into the Maze and come back with their notes and hand-draw maps, which they piece together on this big table, and when they connect them in a certain way, you start to see the layout of the Maze. I thought this would be a great opportunity for the audience to really get the scope of the Maze in 3D form. I thought, -wouldn't it be great if the Gladers actually built a model of the Maze out of sticks and twigs, and that's how they would document it?' And we ended up with this really beautiful eight-foot table with a complete creation of the Maze with two and a half inch sticks, and they even did a miniature version of the Glade itself right in the center. It looks very primitive but it's like a beautiful piece of art, and when you pull back on it, you can see how big this Maze actually is."

As for the Grievers, the monstrosities that guard the endless corridors of the Maze, Godfrey promises something unforgettable and terrifying. 'What we all loved about the Grievers was that they're biomechanical. It's a biological being on to which scientists have grafted some dangerous apparatuses – like metal legs and stingers. They are very, very scary."

The heavily wooded Glade location, where principal photography began, was on a farm in St. Francisville, Louisiana, about an hour from Baton Rouge. The lush, remote area had more than its share of challenges for the filmmakers and cast. Stollman ticks off the major ones: 'Various kinds of venomous snakes, insects, mosquitoes, horseflies, intense heat, intense humidity, mud, rain… it was kind of like the seven deadly sins all in one practical location." (The snakes were no joke. The production's snake wrangler was kept busy removing dozens of potentially deadly cottonmouths, tree rattlers and copperheads from the set during three weeks of filming there. Cast and crew avoided any nasty bites, and all the snakes, after relaxing in their reptile hotel, were safely released when filming wrapped.)

Prior to the start of principal photography, Wes Ball put his young cast through survival training, and an eventful overnight camp-out there was made unforgettable by a surprise storm, complete with spectacular thunder and lightning. Godfrey thinks this wilderness experience 'forged a bond between the actors that mirrored what the characters had in the book." He also felt the location offered the cast and crew a chance to rough it for real, to try out 'the adventure of surviving without technology. These characters have to make their own food and build their own shelter, and they have to take care of each other. I think there's an appealing aspect to having the opportunity to cut off technology and just live in the wild."

As production wrapped up, Wyck Godfrey reiterated why Wes Ball was the right choice to direct The Maze Runner. 'The first thing that struck me about Wes – and this was based on seeing his short film Ruin – was his imagination and his commitment to bringing this world to life. He fully understands what Thomas is going through."

Author James Dashner agrees. 'Wes Ball and I communicated from the beginning, and I could tell almost immediately that he was capturing my vision. His enthusiasm, passion, and faithfulness to the book's spirit were so impressive. I trusted him completely."

Reflecting on the story's appeal, James Dashner notes that much of it stems from the 'constant state of not being able to predict what's going to happen next. I wanted my readers, and now the moviegoing audience, to feel like Thomas when they enter the Glade."

Runners Manual
By Minho

Mission: To solve the Maze

Procedure:

1. Report to the Map Room every morning before breakfast.
2. Receive section assignment from Keeper.
3. Gear Up.
a. Shoes – if you have holes – patch it up. If it's beyond repair consult Keeper for new shoes.
b. Runny Undies – if you have holes – patch it up. If it's beyond repair consult Keeper.
c. Copy of Map – To be returned upon arrival after maze running.
d. Pencil/Notebook – Used strictly to aid in navigating and denoting patterns and routes in the maze.
e. Water – To hydrate your shuck face.
f. Satchel – To carry your shuck things.
g. Hand protectors – To protect your shuck hands.
4. Stop by Frypan's Kitchen – Pick up day's rations.
a. DO NOT over pack. The lighter you are the faster you will be. Faster you are the less dead you will be.
5. Pack up and meet with Running partner at the respective Maze doors.
a. Depending on the section you are assigned, you will meet up at the corresponding doors. (Consult the day's map for reference)
6. Discuss Checkpoint locations with your Running partner.
a. Assign different checkpoints within the maze to meet while exploring your own section. Follow the Runners' Code but also stay accountable for your partner.
b. Criteria for picking checkpoint locations:
i. 4 ways out – Make sure you have 4 ways out of your checkpoint area. You don't want to trap yourself in a corridor.
ii. DON'T MEET AT A DEAD END.
iii. Plenty of breadcrumbs – Even though both of you know where the checkpoint is – leave a trail just in case your partner gets lost.
7. Run the Maze.
a. Remember the Runners' Code.
i. Never Stop Running.
ii. Always Be Alert.
iii. Bring Back Hope.
b. Hydrate.
c. Keep track of the time.
8. Come back before the walls close.
9. Report to the Map Room.
a. Your first destination upon reentering the Glade is the Map Room. NO EXCEPTIONS. I don't care if you have to klunk in your pants.
10. Draw out the day's patterns and submit for inspection.
a. If I can't read your map drawing you will forgo dinner. DON'T WASTE THE GLADES' SUPPLIES.
11. Debrief the day's patterns and findings.
12. Break for dinner.
13. Sleep.
14. Run again.

Runners' Prayer

Endow us with speed and agility to navigate through the Maze
Help us to protect and defend our family in the Glade
From the narrows to the blades and back may you guide us safely before the walls close

When we are in harm's way, protect us from the Griever sting.
Grant us victory and lasting peace
So that our running may not have been in vain
If not here in the Glade, out there at a better place.

The Maze Runner
Release Date: September 18th, 2014