Maze Runner: The Perfect Book-to-Screen Adaptation!

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Translating books into movies in Hollywood can sometimes be a mixed bag. Success stories like the Harry Potter series, Twilight, The Hunger Games, and Lord of the Rings have smoothly moved onto the big screen, earning praise from critics as they went. Regrettably, not all book adaptations go as planned, with disappointing box office performances seen in movies such as The Dark Tower, Mortal Engines, and The Divergent Series: Allegiant. Just like video game adaptations, the transition of books to screen isn’t always straightforward, as the original content often undergoes changes or gets omitted during the filmmaking process. However, there are a few exceptions, such as the film franchise based on James Dashner’s book series, which stands out as one of the rare successful book-to-screen adaptations. Although some elements differ from the source material, the movie series effectively captured the essence of its novel counterpart, resulting in both critical and commercial success at the box office.

The movie titled “Maze Runner,” released in 2014, marked Wes Ball’s debut as director and kickstarted the trilogy. In this story, a band of young survivors would send their bravest members to navigate the labyrinth each day, hoping to find a way out from their known surroundings. It was only when Thomas, who arrived in an old elevator without any recollection of his past, joined the group that they managed to chart the maze and eventually escape. However, upon escaping, they soon discovered that even more challenges lay ahead, as depicted in the subsequent films “Scorch Trials” and “Maze Runner: The Death Cure.” With each movie earning over $250 million at the box office, this film series was a highly successful adaptation of its source material and one of the top trilogies of the 2010s.

Maze Runner Found On-Screen Success After Becoming a Best-Selling Novel

As Thomas, a 16-year-old with no recollection of my past, I found myself trapped within an intricate labyrinth created artificially. This world was ruled by a sinister entity called WICKED, who were not only seeking a cure for the deadly Flare but also using us, the youngest Flare-resistant citizens, as their unwitting guinea pigs.

The book, which I later discovered, garnered immense praise from prominent critics and authors alike. It held the top spot in the Young Adult Library Services list for an impressive 148 weeks. Given its remarkable success, it’s no wonder that Hollywood eventually picked it up. Five years after its initial publication, 20th Century Fox brought The Maze Runner to life on the big screen in 2014, marking the beginning of a trilogy.

Apart from receiving praise for its faithful adaptation of the “Maze Runner” novel, delighting fans of the book series, the film itself became a box office sensation. Made with a budget of just $34 million, it grossed an impressive $348 million worldwide. In a year filled with blockbuster movies like “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “The Lego Movie,” “Godzilla,” “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” it managed to secure a place among the top 25 highest-grossing films of 2014. After its successful cinematic debut, the “Maze Runner” franchise spawned two sequels, “Maze Runner: Scorch Trials” and “Maze Runner: The Death Cure,” both based on Dashner’s best-selling series.

In spite of receiving a relatively poor 49% Rotten Tomatoes rating, “Maze Runner: Scorch Trials” managed to surpass the $300 million global box office mark, making it the second movie in the series to achieve this feat.

Maze Runner is One of the 2010s’ Most Critically Acclaimed Trilogies

In the 2010s, several notable trilogies were released and became box office hits. The John Wick and Captain America trilogies were particularly popular, while the reboot of the Planet of the Apes franchise also found success during this period. The Hobbit trilogy, much-anticipated by fans, was also debuted in theaters. However, it was the Maze Runner franchise that truly shone among the best trilogies of the 2010s. Each film in the series earned over $250 million, establishing itself as a blockbuster draw following its successful run based on popular books.

The film franchise explored numerous genres, such as mystery, science fiction, action, and adventure, offering a pulse-pounding cinematic journey for its viewers. Although it deviated slightly from the source book series, The Maze Runner remained faithful to its core concept of teenagers challenging an oppressive regime through camaraderie and courage. Additionally, it launched the career of Dylan O’Brien, who would later appear in films like “Teen Wolf”, “Deepwater Horizon”, and “Bumblebee”.

Maze Runner Broke a Troubling Hollywood Trend to Deliver a Successful Film Adaptation

Transforming a book series into a movie can be more challenging than it sounds. Unlike authors who have the freedom to pile up content, filmmakers face limitations such as keeping their films within a manageable length. Consequently, a direct 1:1 adaptation is usually impractical. Movies like Fahrenheit 451, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, and Eragon, despite being highly successful novels, didn’t receive critical acclaim after their cinematic adaptations.

Just like video game adaptations often fail to satisfy fans of the original, many movie versions of books miss the mark by veering too far from their source material. However, The Maze Runner series was able to avoid this pitfall and stayed true to its story, making it a success both critically and commercially. Unfortunately, the sequels didn’t receive as positive a reception as the original film. Despite some shortcomings, the movie franchise did justice to the book series by staying faithful to its plot and preserving key storylines. Few book adaptations are able to achieve this level of success.

You can find the Maze Runner series, including Maze Runner: Scorch Trials and Maze Runner: The Death Cure, streaming online on Amazon Prime Video.

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2025-04-25 05:54