Production of The Maze Runner: The Death Cure was put on hold last month when lead actor Dylan O’Brien was injured on the set. At the time, it was unknown how long this hold would last while O’Brien recovered from his injury. Those involved with the film made it clear that the hold was just a temporary delay and not a larger shutdown of the film.
Unfortunately, it seems that O’Brien’s recovery will take longer than originally planned. As a result, production of The Death Cure has been shut down indefinitely while O’Brien heals from his injuries.
THR revealed that O’Brien’s injuries were more severe than originally believed, leading to the production shutdown. When the injury was first reported, it was believed that he had suffered a fracture to either his cheekbone or his orbital socket and a concussion. Though his injuries are now revealed to be more serious than this, specifics have not been released. O’Brien’s publicist made a brief statement on his injuries, saying simply, “His injuries are very serious, and he needs more time to recover.”
20th Century Fox had originally planned to resume filming on May 9, but with this new delay there is currently no anticipated date for filming to resume. The cast and crew have been released, and a new start date will depend on not only O’Brien’s status but also the availability of other cast members who may pick up projects in the interim. Fox confirmed the delay, making the following statement:
“The resumption of principal photography on Maze Runner: The Death Cure has been further delayed to allow Dylan O’Brien more time to fully recover from his injuries. We wish Dylan a speedy recovery and look forward to restarting production as soon as possible.”
The Maze Runner: The Death Cure was previously scheduled to hit theaters February 2017. With production shut down, a new date will not be available until production can resume.