‘Maze Runner’ Director Refuses To Split Third Film In Half

Maze Runner director Wes Ball has absolutely no interest in splitting the final installment of the series into two separate movies.

If you’ve followed the Young Adult (YA) genre for any length of time, then you’ve probably noticed a very peculiar trend. Instead of presenting the final installment as one film, the studios split the flick in half in order to maximize profits. While many will tell you it’s all about giving fans the best possible cinematic experience, it’s really just about making money. Which, some would argue, is the nature of the business.

Both Twilight and The Hunger Games saw their finales split in half, and the same thing is reportedly happening to the Divergent series. However, when it comes to Maze Runner, director Wes Ball insists he isn’t following the same well-worn path as his predecessors.

When Maze Runner: The Death Cure hits theaters, it will arrive as one complete motion picture. Unless Ball caves to studio pressure — which is always a possibility — the filmmaker doesn’t intend to needlessly string along fans of the series.

During a recent interview with Digital Spy, Ball was asked about the fate of the third film in the Maze Runner saga. For the moment, the director intends to make The Death Cure a singular experience. Three, as they say, is the magic number.

“I think three is the number; beginning, middle, end, that’s it. Four? I think there’s something off about four. For me, if I have any say in it, there’s three movies basically… We’re not going to [split a book in two], no way. I think three movies is the right number. ‘Star Wars’!”

Right now, Ball and the boys and girls at 20th Century Fox are focusing their energies on The Scorch Trials, the second entry in the Maze Runner story. The Inquisitr previously reported that filming on the project is presently expected to begin in the very near future.

Ball previously stated that work began on the Maze Runner sequel shortly before the first film hit theaters. Since producers believed they had a franchise on their hands, they didn’t waste any time getting the follow-up in gear.

“We’ve got stages, we’ve got crews coming in, Dylan [O’Brien] will be back in a few weeks, we’re building sets, and the script is being written. It’s a bit of a race this time because we’re cautiously optimistic, but we’re feeling excited we’re about to do something that’s way more sophisticated, way more grown up, and really set up a saga here.”

Are you glad Wes Ball isn’t splitting the final installment of the Maze Runner saga into two separate movies? Share your thoughts below.

[Lead image via 20th Century Fox]