Wes Ball speaks with us about directing The Maze Runner trilogy

Wes Ball has risen to fame in unthinkable fashion, being handed the keys to a major franchise trilogy, The Maze Runner, as his first ever directing project. And he more than rose to the challenge.

Ball took the helm of the project with humility, anticipation, and raw talent, putting the world on notice that the next great director has arrived. He’s not what you would expect coming fresh off of a hit series. He’s a really down-to-earth guy who cares deeply about his cast and crew. His kind, confident leadership style is one of the reasons for the success of the trilogy.

Recently, he spoke with us about his experience directing these films, and it quickly began to make sense why they were so dynamic. From on-set shenanigans to directing strategies, here’s an inside scoop on the filming of The Maze Runner trilogy, straight from the man who was in charge, Wes Ball.

"Maze Runner: The Death Cure is set for digital release on April 10 on DVD and Blu-ray on April 24. Also available on the 24 will be the trilogy box set."

LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 22: Director Wes Ball attends the UK fan screening of ‘Maze Runner: The Death Cure’ at the Vue West End on January 22, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images) /

HR: I just want to congratulate you on everything that you’ve accomplished with the trilogy and with The Death Cure coming out. How does it feel to have that accomplished? To put such an awesome story on the big screen?

Wes Ball: Yeah. there’s obviously a lot in that question, ya know. Because, there’s the creative kind of artistic aspirations of it all, but then there’s also like the — these are my first three movies as a director; to have been even given this opportunity is really [crazy], I guess. So obviously, there’s an amount of, “I can’t believe we actually did this.” It’s kind of fun.

How many people get to go make a trilogy for their first three movies? Our job was to turn [The Maze Runner] books [into movies] for that fan base, which is super passionate about these books. How do we give them a movie that they love? At the same time, basically, my job was to make a franchise for the studio, to make something that appeals to more than just the five million people who have read the books, ya know? So, that challenge [in and of] itself, was pretty interesting. How do we thread that needle, ya know? How do we have one foot in this kind of crazy, very complicated mythology and story of characters and have one foot in, kind of, entertainment, ya know what I mean? That’s a difficult bullseye to hit.

Will there be another Maze Runner movie? He didn’t mince words at all with regard to a comeback to the franchise.

Wes Ball: And then second to that is, I’m excited to kind of leave this world behind. I can only talk about grievers and mazes for so long (laughs).

HR: Okay, Okay.

Wes Ball: So I’d like to kinda move on to the next things so — it’s kind of a bittersweet thing with these movies. [I’m] happy and thrilled to have had the opportunity, and now excited for, kind of, what’s next.

HR: Yeah, actually I was going to ask you about that — you did leave the door open there at the end (laughs), [for a sequel].

Wes Ball: I don’t think so. I think it’s just a nice little conversation in the parking lot (laughs). I think most people would look at that ending and yeah sure they could be [like] “Oh sure, there’s gonna be another movie.” But I think the fans that love these movies know that character, they know what he’s thinking, and they know what he’s probably gonna go do. And they get to go off and imagine what’s gonna happen and hey, by the way, hey, if Fox wants to go off and make another one, great! But, it won’t be with me, because I’m moving on. I made the three movies, for me, it’s done; I’m done with the Maze Runner world.

HR: Ok, alright.

Wes Ball: It’s been great, but good luck, and you’re out in the world now (chuckles).

HR: No, I mean you’re off now. You’re on a roll. So, I’ve gotta be honest, I’m one of those fans, and I loved the trilogy.

Wes Ball: Oh great, that’s fantastic! Hey, let me ask you this, did you come at it from the books or just the movies?

HR: I read the first two books. I mean, I’m almost at the end of the second book. I didn’t read the third book yet. But, I love what you did, I’m serious, I’m not trying to suck up (laughs).

Wes Ball: It’s interesting too because… you know, obviously, I hear plenty of the criticisms, and I also, It’s fun to talk to people who also, kind of, got something out of the movies, ya know? I made [the movies] for, I imagine, probably pretty similar to the stuff we grew up on. The stuff that I was kind of looking at was like, Goonies and Raiders of the Lost Ark and even Star Wars to a certain degree. Those movies, to me, were about adventure, and fun and excitement and drama and all these things.

I always get asked this question of, were you watching Hunger Games and Divergent when you were making these? And the answer is no. I was just trying to make, kind of the movies I grew up on [that] I don’t really see enough of today. Especially if you’re not, like, in the Marvel universe or the DC universe.

HR: Right.

Wes Ball: These kinds of movies don’t really exist — these kinds of escapist fantasy adventures that are taken seriously, you know what I mean? So that’s been interesting. It’s been kind of fun, but it’s always fun to hear [from] people who kind of somehow connect to the movies too, ya know? It’s cool.

His knack for building suspense throughout the three movies was evident.

Photo credit: Maze Runner: The Death Cure by Joe Alblas, Acquired via EPK.TV /

HR: So I took a few things away from all of the movies, and really, the overarching theme is — you have a gift for suspense. I mean, I’m not an expert, but it doesn’t seem easy to create that amount of suspense. I was watching The Scorch Trials, and I was, like, squirming in my seat (laughs) I thought I was a tough guy, and I thoughts this is so intense! I mean, how do you have such a knack for creating those moments in movies?

Wes Ball: It is funny you say that because I do have a particular, kind of, fascination with suspense. And suspense is really about — you could study Hitchcock, right? Suspense is about — you put a bomb under the table, and you show the audience that bomb is under the table, and then you go have a dialog scene with two characters that don’t know the bomb is under the table. And so, suspense is about knowing what’s going to happen, and waiting for it to happen, right? … That anticipation is where all that fun [and] that the squirming happens, right? Where it shocks, which, we do have some of those. We have the thrills; we have like the “horror things,” where suddenly, out of nowhere, surprise!

There’s a thing yelling at you, you know; those are cheaper, those are easier. I don’t get a lot of satisfaction out of those little chop-scares. But in terms of suspense, there’s this kind of shape in my mind when I’m thinking about scenes. And by the way, I’m not even just talking about, in terms of suspense as much as I’m talking about, like, the chase scenes and stuff like that. There’s suspense in reveals too, ya know? … Like, imagine that scene in Jurrasic Park when they’re driving in the Jeep, and then Alan Grant basically stops the car, and you just stay on his face forever. And he stands up, and then, you still don’t know what he’s looking at, and he pulls at Alex Adler’s head and turns her head, and then she gets up. And then finally you cut to — Boom! The dinosaur. And that shape is suspense. And it’s this great kind of like exponential kind of curve that happens. It’s slow, slow, slow, slow, and all of a sudden it’s just bam! And then boom, you’re out. And for me, in terms of like the crafting of this stuff, I think about that rhythm, that, kind of, musicality essentially — through all the scenes really. And I have to admit; it’s probably a bit of a crutch now.

So I have to be careful about it in the next movies … that I don’t, kind of, keep doing the same thing over and over again. But I do have a particular fascination with suspense, in general, because I enjoy that feeling of, like, being on the edge of your seat and biting your fingernails, ya know (laughs). You can feel it; it’s a crazy experience.

He also credits his musical composer, John Paesano, for helping to take the project to another level.

Wes Ball: And a lot of it [the suspense] also goes to John’s music.

HR: Okay, yeah, yeah.

Wes Ball: The composer whose demoed me now for three movies. We have, ya know, unlike a lot of movies that I think come out, that I [personally] tend to study — music is usually an afterthought, right? Music is usually — you make your scene, you cut it, you make it all look good, and then — ok, composer, come on in and put music over it! I don’t do that. John and I [strategize] early, early on, thinking about how the music is going to work as a character in this moment, in this scene, in this sequence, so that the music, like what Spielberg does —

HR: And Nolan, right? Christopher Nolan and Hans Zimmer?

Wes Ball: Exactly — same thing, where it’s like, music doesn’t have to be an afterthought, it can actually be a part of that experience, of the suspense-thing especially. So, we take a lot of care [in that process].

Continuing on that train of thought, he spoke about how he sees movies as a special combination of art forms.

Wes Ball: Movie making, in general, is one of the most amazing art forms, right? Because it combines photography, it combines, design, it combines sound and music — all the different kind of art forms, … that exist and can be enjoyed on their own, but they combine them into this one, unique experience, where people sit down in a theater and share a kind of journey on the screen … And It’s just so much fun to try to — I’m still learning, of course, but to try to use all those elements to make an experience for people, ya know? So If anyone asks me what I do, it’s more about — I try to give people an experience, right?

Where you’re crying, laughing, [in] suspense — whatever; that’s what I’m most interested in. That’s what kind of got me into making movies, in particular, is that it’s just always in the back of my mind, what’s the audience experience gonna be like? I think we all know, movies are those experiences that you have, where, you just never forget them because there’s such a kind of, an emotional kind of response to these things. And in the last movie, in particular, because of the nature of the books, that experience was about sacrifice, and struggle, and tears, know what I mean? It’s a pretty heavy ending (to) the series and that was kind of a new thing for me — trying to evoke [a response] from the book fans. And a lot of the book fans, they know what those scenes are going to be. They have certain expectations of what’s gonna be in there. So it [was] about, how do we — how do we give them what they want, but at the same time, sort of surprise them? …

The characters in these movies became so dear to our hearts as time went on.

Photo credit: Maze Runner: The Death Cure by Joe Alblas, Acquired via EPK.TV /

HR: Yeah, well I mean, honestly, like I said before, these movies humbled me (laughs) because I mean I had wet eyes. I saw The Death Cure twice, and at the end, my eyes were getting really wet, like tearing up, and I was just like, I don’t do that! I don’t cry in movies. And it’s just, you think about the whole story, and all these characters went through, and you really grow attached to them.

Wes Ball: Yeah, I think that’s what kind of ultimately what connects people in a way is like, if they can go along with kind of the story and the concept and mythology of it all … for me, it is the characters that matter. Because … we got some great frickin actors that know what they’re doing, and they’re really good, and I wind them up and let them go. And hopefully, people connect to those characters, and they watch this, it’s a cheesy word, but it’s a saga.

HR: It is [a saga].

Wes Ball: You watch this boy being born from nothing, in this elevator, all the way to him becoming, the hopeful, kind of, savior of mankind, ya know? And then all the people along the way.

His surprise ending went completely against the status quo.

Wes Ball: And I don’t think we get enough credit for it, but, our third act, our kind of main climax of the entire trilogy — whereas I think what most generic, kind of, Hollywood movies would be about — it’d be about a bigger maze, or a bigger griever, or a super crank, or whatever it is; No, our climax is about our main hero character not being able to save himself, and relying on the people around him. …

That’s so bizarre for a typical Hollywood trilogy, you know, for a climax. We don’t get credit for that kind of stuff — that we took some really weird chances with this franchise, with these movies, that maybe, hopefully, in the future people will look back on and kind of recognize. But for the most part, now, people don’t see how different we are from the usual fare of Hollywood [franchises].

HR: No, I loved it. I mean, it was crazy when, I guess I don’t want to give away too much for people who haven’t seen it.

Wes Ball: Sure, sure.

HR: But yeah that ending was definitely, it was awesome, and I wasn’t expecting it. But you’re right — [it’s really about] teamwork at the end. So, you just kind of brushed on it, but — all of these movies — I just imagine it being kind of a struggle because you know how [in] most movies, there’s two or three main characters, maybe? And this is like, a ton!

Wes Ball: I think it’s 12 characters total that we have to track and follow (laughs).

HR: And they all work together so well. And you were able to just create a team dynamic. How did you direct them? What was your leadership style on set to get so many actors to work together that well? I mean it just, it did work well.

His humble leadership style also goes against the norm.

SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 11: Cast of ‘Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials’ speak onstage at the 20th Century FOX panel during Comic-Con International 2015 at the San Diego Convention Center on July 11, 2015, in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) /

Wes Ball: Yeah, I agree; I think they’re a great bunch of people, and I guess it starts with that. When we cast these people — they’re just good people, on and off set; they’re friends to this day, honestly. And so, we really kind of become a kind of little family together. And for me, whether I’m doing it right or not — again, I’m still learning — and I’m still on my third movie that I’ve made.

HR: You’re doing it right, you’re doing it right.

Wes Ball: You could almost consider it one big movie that I’ve done rather than three little movies (laughs). But, my usual approach is more — what’s the conversation in all of this? Like, yo, guys, I’m not the dictator here. Its like, this is the story we want, this is the experience that we wanna give the audience in this moment, what are your ideas? How do you want to do this? So, all these characters, all these actors, they come together and we all kind of [work together]. And It’s about, kind of, creating these little moments between this family unit, I guess — all these characters.

And dude, I gotta say, it was a real fricken challenge, especially in the second movie. Because in the first movie, … you’ve got Thomas and Alby, and then he goes away and [it’s] Thomas with Newt, and then it’s Thomas with Chuck, and it’s like these little — Thomas was always our [link]; … it was always [these] characters in relation to Thomas. But in the second movie, it was them all together, right? It was about seven or eight characters that we had to track, and they’re all together.

So, you know, what are they doing? Are they just standing around? Are they doing something? And then on top of that, we have to introduce all these extra characters into the franchise. We had to introduce our villain, … Aidan, we have to introduce Giancarlo, and Rosa, … and all these guys. So, it was a real frickin puzzle. And then ultimately, by the third movie, I think we kind of figured out ways to split them up and have multiple storylines all going. And of course, in the third movie, there’s a surprise of [yet] another character that we have to, kind of, bring back into the mix. So, I gotta admit, it was a real juggling act — I’m glad you liked it. I don’t know how successful it was, personally, but it was — it was one of the challenges.

Next. Pro stylist Carlee Wallace talks celebrity fashion. dark

HR: I can only tell you how it came off, it really looked like they knew you had confidence in them.

Wes Ball: Right.

HR: And they had such a confidence about their acting, and it was just, it did come off really genuine. They were working as a team.

Make sure to be on the lookout for Wes Ball in future projects. His time has only just begun.

Home/Movies

Wes Ball chats about directing The Maze Runner trilogy

By Ryan Mekkes | Apr 9, 2018