FLEEING FROM THE INESCAPABLE IN “THE MAZE RUNNER”

                Filmmaker Wes Ball, acclaimed for his kinetic powerful 8-minute short “Ruin” that had internet audiences blown away brings his dynamic filmmaking flair in the upcoming young adult movie “The Maze Runner.”

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

                Based on the bestselling book by James Dashner, “The Maze Runner” stars Dylan O’Brien along with a talented young cast – Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie Sangster,  Will Pouter, Ki Hong Lee, Aml Ameen, Alex Flores, Chris Sheffield, Dexter Darden, Jacob Latimore and Blake Cooper who are all trapped in a enclosed space known as The Glade. 

“The Maze Runner” is the first book in the bestselling trilogy set in a post-apocalyptic world where a community of young men discover they’re all trapped in a maze.  When Thomas (O’Brien) surfaces from the bottom of The Glade, things have never been the same, especially when the last one and the only girl in the group followed after Thomas.   They all must work together not only to escape the maze, but solve its riddle and reveal the chilling secret of their entrapment.  

                In the movie, the boys are surrounded by massive walls – industrial yet ancient in design, these chilling walls seem out of place in the wild forest where the boys are thriving each day.   Thomas, along with Minho (Ki Hong Lee) tries to go through the massive maze walls to try to get through an opening that will lead them out of the Glade.  But the boys who were there first warned them that nobody has ever made it out alive from the maze.  There’s something that preys on the ones that stay out too long in the maze.  

                Director Ball cast a talented group of young boys who are all trapped, most of whom are content in the confines and safety of the glade until Thomas came questioning everything.

                Gally, played by Will Pouter whose film credits include “Son of Rainbow,” “We’re The Millers” and “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” is at odds with Thomas’ charging into the unknown.  His character, Gally is all about keeping things safe and normal so as to keep them alive.   

                Aml Ameen, known for his roles in “Red Tails” and TV’s “Harry’s Law” is the father figure of the group.  The very first glader, he was the first one who taught himself everything there is to know to survive the glade.

                Arriving second in the glade, Newt, played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster (“Game of Thrones,” “Nowhere Boy,” and Ferb’s voice in “Phineas & Ferb) is basically Alby’s right hand.  Newt takes up the reins whenever Alby is not around.

                Chuck – played by Blake Cooper (“Parental Guidance”) “He’s this absolutely adorable kid. Sort of a little brother character,” Ball says. Chuck is younger and smaller than most of the other boys. He tries hard, and nobody expects much out of him, though he gets his hero moments.”

Running through the dangerous maze with Thomas is Minho, played by Ki Hong Lee (TV’s “The Nine Lives of Chloe King”) who doesn’t say much  but  runs fast, making him a very valuable part of the team for solving the riddle of the maze. “He’s the fastest, most bad-ass guy who goes out into the maze every day. He’s kind of a mysterious guy, but will eventually open up, too,” says Ball of Lee’s character.

The only rose among the thorns, Teresa is played by Kaya Scodelario (“Clash of the Titans”) .

“The Maze Runner” opens September 17 in theatres nationwide from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.