Jacob Lofland is reflecting on his time with theMaze Runnermovies ahead of the new reboot. Based on James Dashner’s book, the movie came on the heels of other major Young Adult hits, includingThe Hunger Games(2012).Maze Runner’s expansive castincluded Dylan O’Brien (Teen Wolf), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Game of Thrones), and more. The movie easily succeeded in theaters, earning nearly $350 million on a $30 million budget, with both follow-ups also receiving box office success, even if none were as dominant, with aMaze Runnerreboot announced in May 2024.
During a recent interview withScreenRant’s Grant Hermanns to discuss his ongoing work in Taylor Sheridan’sLandman, Lofland addressed the comingMaze Runnerreboot.The star admitted he had not heard about the reboot’s developmentbefore the interview, recalling hearing talks around the time the franchise initially was ending, but he did reflect positively on his time with the cast. Check out his quote below:
I haven’t heard that. Back in the day, there was talk about it. I just didn’t know if anything was coming to fruition. No, that was a great experience, and I had such a great time with all those guys. I’m still really close with Dylan, I talk to Keon and Dexter. All of them are great dudes, and at the time, I think I was 18 when we did that. 18 in Albuquerque, with the hotel full of dudes, like we had a great time. We had airsoft wars in the hotel, and it was crazy, things we probably shouldn’t have done. [Laughs] But I still keep in touch with all those dudes, and it was a great experience, and one that I’ll never forget, for sure.
What This Means For The Maze Runner’s Reboot
The Movie Needs To Maintain A Similar Dynamic
TheMaze Runnerseries was an immense success, earning relatively modest grosses at the box office, but careful budget management prevented ballooning costs from sinking the franchise. Each release became a near-instant success, proving the viability of each of the movies. Thoughit has only been a decade since the firstwas released, it is no surprise that producers Gotham Group and Temple Hill are hoping to replicate its success just a few years later. After all,Maze Runner’s endingwas definitive, but it still leaves room for a revival or even a reboot. Check out the franchise’s box office comparisons below:
$34 million
$348 million
$61 million
$312 million
$62 million
$288 million
One major reason that it was so successful was the dynamic between the stars.The actors had excellent chemistry, which made it much easier to buy into the overall narrative. Knowing now that the stars were genuine friends who played games together in the hotels and did things that they “probably shouldn’t have done” makes that dynamic even more compelling. If a reboot does happen, the cast will need to replicate that sense of connection. Casting younger actors forMaze Runner’s reboot, much likethePercy Jacksonshowdid, could help to achieve that more easily.
Our Take On The Maze Runner’s Reboot
It Is Coming Far Too Late
It is hard to see the new movie achieving much success at the box office. The original was released in 2014 whenThe Hunger Games,Divergent, and other YA dystopias were dominating the box office. Recently, even theHunger Gamesprequel,The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, earned just $350 million, where the original earned nearly $700 million.The Maze Runner’s rebootis likely coming too late to capitalize on the craze, and it will also simply be an unnecessary follow-up.
The Maze Runner
Conceived as a book series by author James Dashner, The Maze Runner is a sci-fi multimedia franchise that gained mainstream popularity after the release of its first of three films. The series focuses on a group of young men trapped in a maze with no knowledge of life outside their strange prison. The survivors, led by protagonist Thomas, attempt to piece together their shattered memories and find a way out of the towering maze.
