Earlier today, The Maze Runner author James Dashner teased fans by Tweeting, "If I were you, I'd stay very close to Twitter the next few days. @MazeRunnerMovie @MTV" And sure enough, a little while later, a handful of images for the upcoming feature adaptation of the first novel in Dashner's series makes its way online, revealing star Dylan O'Brien and some of the other cast from the film, which arrives in theaters next Valentine's Day. Among the images is the one above, which shows some of the boys sentenced to live in a mysterious place called The Glade, where kids are forced to fend for themselves and try to survive against the elements and the threats that lurk within the maze beyond the walls.
It's particularly fitting that MTV should get access to these first official images for the film, as the movie stars Dylan O'Brien, whose current claim to fame is playing Stiles in MTV's popular drama Teen Wolf. O'Brien can be seen in the photo above, along with Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Game of Thrones) and - I'm pretty sure - Ki Hong Lee, who plays Minho in the film.
In Dashner's book, a new kid is delivered to the Glade each month, showing up in an old elevator with no memory of who they are, where they came from or why they're there, though they do know their own name. The story starts with Thomas' (O'Brien) arrival, which is followed one day later by Teresa (Kaya Scodelario), the first girl to enter the community. The photo below shows the elevator and a crowd of gawking guys staring down at two people who are coming up the lift.
I'm assuming that the figure laying down is Teresa, since we know (mild book spoiler alert) that she shows up unconscious. The other guy looks like Brodie-Sangster, who might have hopped down into the lift to inspect the latest arrival.
Part of the mystery of the Glade is the Maze, which exists beyond the high walls of the compound. Each morning, the walls open up and the "runners" among the group head into the dangerous maze in search of a way out of this place. That's their first goal. Their other goal is to get back to the Glade before the walls close each night. No one wants to get caught in the Maze after dark. And that may be why these people are running toward the wall in this photo.
The above photo is the closest we get to seeing the actual maze, and I'm thinking we're seeing it from the outside. For an idea of what the inside of the maze might look like, check out the previously released concept art.
MTV has two other photos from the film for you to check out, including one of Dylan O'Brien with a bandaged wrist, and another that gives us a better look at Theresa. Check them out here
We still haven't heard any confirmation about what Fox might have planned for The Maze Runner at Comic Con, if anything, including whether or not director Wes Ball and/or some of the cast might be in attendance for a panel. But Dashner did Tweet recently that he would be there…
