Claim: Dylan O'Brien has worked with Wes Ball.

The Maze Runner is a 2014 American dystopian science fiction action thriller film directed by Wes Ball , in his directorial debut , based on James Dashner 's 2009 novel of the same name . The film is the first installment in The Maze Runner film series and was produced by Ellen Goldsmith-Vein , Wyck Godfrey , Marty Bowen , and Lee Stollman with a screenplay by Noah Oppenheim , Grant Pierce Myers and T.S. Nowlin . The film stars Dylan O'Brien , Kaya Scodelario , Aml Ameen , Thomas Brodie-Sangster , Ki Hong Lee , Will Poulter , and Patricia Clarkson . The story follows sixteen-year-old Thomas , portrayed by O'Brien , who awakens in a rusty elevator with no memory of who he is , only to learn he 's been delivered to the middle of an intricate maze , along with a large number of other boys , who have been trying to find their way out of the ever-changing labyrinth -- all while establishing a functioning society in what they call the Glade .   Development of The Maze Runner began in January 2011 when Fox purchased the film rights to Dashner 's novel with film studios Temple Hill Entertainment and TSG Entertainment . Principal photography began in Baton Rouge , Louisiana on May 13 , 2013 and officially concluded on July 12 , 2013 .   The Maze Runner was released on September 19 , 2014 in the United States by 20th Century Fox . The film received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics , who considered it better than most young adult book-to-film adaptations , though the ending and the lack of plot clarity received some criticism . The film was also a commercial success , as it topped the box-office during its opening weekend with a $ 32.5 million debut , making it the seventh-highest grossing debut in September . The film earned over $ 348 million worldwide at the box-office , against its budget of $ 34 million .   A sequel , Maze Runner : The Scorch Trials , was released on September 18 , 2015 in the United States .