In an era dominated by green screens, director Wes Ball made a radical choice. While the Grievers were CGI, The production team built a massive, 1:1 scale section of the Maze on a soundstage in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The walls were 50 feet high, constructed from real stone, concrete, and cascading fake ivy.
Inside, Thomas proves his worth by surviving the night—something no one has ever done—and becomes the first person to kill a Griever. He returns to the Glade not as a prisoner, but as a hero. However, his arrival has triggered a chain reaction.
: Every morning, the walls to a massive, shifting Maze open. The Runners enter to map it and find an exit before the doors close at dusk.
: The Culture Cove and AN EMPIRE OF WORDS both offer insights from viewers who either skipped the book or felt the movie smoothed out some of the source material's pacing issues.