The Maze Runner Movies: How They Differ From the Books
The Maze Runner movies adapt their story from the eponymous books by James Dashner, but they also change multiple characters and storylines. This article explores the differences between the Maze Runner movies and the books, shedding light on the creative liberties taken by the filmmakers.
Creative Liberties in The Maze Runner Movies
The Maze Runner movies adapt their story from the eponymous books by James Dashner, but they also change multiple characters and storylines. In 2014, The Maze Runner was released when teen dystopian film adaptations were at the height of their popularity. The movie series centers on a society destroyed by the Flare Virus, which causes scientists to commit heinous experiments on children in the hopes of finding a cure.
Kaya Scodelario and Dylan O'Brien as Teresa and Thomas looking on with fear in Maze Runner: The Death Cure
The movies pull many of their storylines from the Maze Runner books; however, they also take creative liberties. Some of these changes are small and unimportant to the plot, like the organization name WCKD (called WICKED in the books). However, other changes from the books to the movies have a significant impact on the overall narrative and character arcs.
Kaya Scodelario as Teresa falling in Maze Runner: The Death Cure
The Maze Runner movies adapt their story from the eponymous books by James Dashner, but they also change multiple characters and storylines. In 2014, The Maze Runner was released when teen dystopian film adaptations were at the height of their popularity. The movie series centers on a society destroyed by the Flare Virus, which causes scientists to commit heinous experiments on children in the hopes of finding a cure.
Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Kaya Scodelario, Dylan O'Brien, and Ki Hong Lee as Newt, Teresa, Thomas, and Minho in Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials poster
Changes in Character Arcs and Storylines
The Maze Runner movies take creative liberties with several characters and storylines from the books. One significant change is the removal of Thomas and Teresa's telepathic powers. In the Maze Runner books, Thomas and Teresa can talk to each other via telepathy, allowing them to communicate at any time. However, the movies decided to cut out the pair's telepathic powers due to the difficulty of including telepathy in a movie format.
Dylan O'Brien as Thomas from The Maze Runner films overlayed on a blurred image of the book series
Another notable change is the difference in the Griever attacks. In the books, the Grievers take characters from the Glade one by one, and their stings don't pose a significant threat to the Gladers. However, in the movies, the Grievers massacre numerous Gladers all at once, creating more tension and urgency in the movie.
Dylan O'Brien and Kaya Scodelario as Thomas and Teresa talk in the Glade of the Maze in The Maze Runner
The Maze Runner: Death Cure diverges from The Death Cure book in many ways, one of the most significant being the removal of WCKD's secret motives. The book's epilogue reveals WICKED's shift in focus to saving the Immunes, which explains the phrase 'WCKD Is Good' in the movies. However, the movie removed this context entirely, leaving an unanswered question about the phrase's meaning.
A griever screeches at Thomas in the Maze in The Maze Runner
Unexplored Elements in the Movies
Several elements from the Maze Runner books remain unexplored in the movies. For instance, Newt's tragic backstory is absent in the movie series, creating more questions than answers. In the books, WICKED's mind control abilities are more prominent, whereas the movies only briefly allude to this aspect. Additionally, the origin and stages of the Flare Virus are not explained thoroughly in the movies, unlike the detailed exploration in the book series.
Dylan O'Brien's Thomas looks at a screen with Patricia Clarkson's Ava Paige from WCKD in the Maze Runner movies
The movie adaptation of The Scorch Trials cuts one of the book's most terrifying scenes, where the Gladers encounter metal balls that ultimately decapitate them. This omission eliminates a potential action-packed sequence from the movie.
An image of the Maze Runner cast standing together in front of the maze
In The Death Cure book, Thomas must return to the Maze Trial to save the other Immunes, but this significant plot point does not occur in The Maze Runner: Death Cure, highlighting the diversion of the plot in the movie adaptation.
Newt's (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) face has black veins, eyes, and goo coming out of his mouth in The Maze Runner: The Death Cure
