Maze Runner: The Death Cure reigns supreme in terms of social media buzz during the last week of 2017. The upcoming Fox project is the final chapter of the trilogy of movies which first started in 2014 and are based on the novels of the same name written by James Dashner.
Dylan O'Brien returns as Thomas in the upcoming film directed by Wes Ball, as he and his friends attempt to finish the deadly maze with little to no casualties as possible. But aside from saving their own, including Minho (Ki Hong Lee), who was taken by WCKD (aka. World in Catastrophe: Killzone Department) during the climactic battle in Maze: Runner: The Scorch Trials, the leader of the pack is presented with an impossible decision to make as he is forced to choose between the lives of his pals or the fate of the world.
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A report from Variety citing information from media-measurement firm comScore and its PreAct service says The Death Cure produced 53,162 new conversations exactly a month before it rolls out on theaters this January 26. The threequel bested another trilogy finale in Universal's Fifty Shades Freed (37,018 more conversations). Rounding up the five top slots are all Disney properties with Marvel Studios' Black Panther (34,828) and Avengers: Infinity War (22,664) alongside Lucasfilm's upcoming anthology movie, Solo: A Star Wars Story (11,689).
The Death Cure is the only traditional blockbuster with an established fan base coming to theaters this month, so it makes sense that it is garnering much attention in the weeks leading up to its release. People's interest in the film is also fueled by the fact that the project has been a long time coming, having an original debut date of some time last year. Production was suspended for a few months after O’Brien was involved in an on-set accident in Vancouver in March 2016. Following a couple more rescheduling back and forth between January and February 2018, Fox eventually settled for a roll date set for the last week of this month.
Unlike other movie franchises based on popular young adult action/adventure novels like The Hunger Games and Divergent (before the final film was cancelled), Maze Runner: The Death Cure is sticking to its three-installment format. Many read this as a good move, as it allows for a tight narrative without running the risk of adding filler sequences and subplots for the sake of stretching the runtime.
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Source: Variety
