New ‘Maze Runner’ Prequel On The Way From Author James Dashner

Following the successful first weekend at the box office with a haul of $32.5 million, The Maze Runner movie was quick to get a sequel confirmed for 2015. If that wasn’t enough, it has been announced that James Dashner, author of The Maze Runner, will be writing a prequel to his post-apocalyptic bestseller, MTV News reports. From what Dashner tells them, we will finally get to see the story behind the Maze’s origin.

“From the very beginning, I’ve always wanted to write a prequel about Thomas, Teresa, Newt, Minho, Alby and all the Gladers that leads up to the very moment Thomas enters the Box. There are so many things hinted at that will be fun to reveal in depth. For years, fans have made it abundantly and enthusiastically clear that they want the same thing, so now seems like the perfect time to give readers the story of how the Maze began.”

The book is entitled The Fever Code, though it isn’t Dashner’s first prequel to The Maze Runner. Back in 2012, Dashner released The Kill Order, after which this novel looks to take place.

Excited to share the news, James Dashner took to Twitter.

I’m so excited to write #TheFeverCode. I give you my word, to the utmost extent of my capacity, it’ll be the best book I’ve ever written.

— James Dashner (@jamesdashner) September 25, 2014

What a fantastic couple of weeks the author has had. On top of the great weekend The Maze Runner had, coupled with the foreign box office, the movie has raked in well over $100 million, which more than triples the budget of the film. The success of the film has carried back on over to the books, according to USA Today, raising its ranking to number three on their bestselling list (which is the highest place it has ever been).

Everything seems to be looking up for The Maze Runner franchise, despite recent speculation that $30 million at the first weekend may not be enough to secure a film franchise. With The Fever Code being the second prequel to The Maze Runner trilogy, studios have to be speculating a potential follow-up film series, but that’s probably jumping the gun a bit.

With all this good news, Maze Runner fans no doubt have a great deal to look forward to. Did you get a chance to check out the film in theaters, and does this new book announcement have you excited for what the future holds for the entire franchise? Let us know in the comments below!