Maze Runner: The Death Cure (also known simply as The Death Cure) is a 2018 American dystopian science fiction film directed by Wes Ball and with a screenplay by T.S. Nowlin, based on the 2011 novel The Death Cure written by James Dashner. It is the sequel to the 2015 film Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials and the third and final installment in the Maze Runner film series. The film stars Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Dexter Darden, Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, Aidan Gillen, Walton Goggins, Ki Hong Lee, Jacob Lofland, Katherine McNamara, Barry Pepper, Will Poulter, Rosa Salazar, and Patricia Clarkson.
Maze Runner: The Death Cure was originally set to be released on February 17, 2017, in the United States by 20th Century Fox, but the studio rescheduled the film's release for January 26, 2018, allowing time for O'Brien to recover from injuries he sustained during filming. The film received mixed reviews from critics with praise for the cast performances, action sequences and visual effects but criticism for the storyline and character development. The film grossed over $288 million worldwide.
Plot
Thomas, Newt, and Frypan, the last of the free "Gladers", join with the Right Arm resistance to retrieve other Immunes from a carriage of a train operated by WCKD, the organization responsible for capturing and experimenting on immune children. They discover that Minho, their Glader friend whom WCKD had captured, was on a different carriage and is headed to the "Last City", WCKD's base of operations. Against the orders of Vince, the leader of the Right Arm, the three head to the Last City to rescue Minho, who is being tortured by WCKD along with several other children in the hope of developing a cure for the virus. The group is attacked by Cranks, humans infected with the Flare. However, they are saved by Jorge and Brenda, who join them.
The group makes it to the wall of the Last City, which is heavily fortified. Outside the wall, people are rallying in protest to be let into the city. When WCKD opens fire at the protesters, the group is captured and taken to a hideout by a crew wearing gas masks. One of the members is revealed to be Gally, who survived being impaled with a spear by Minho. Gally takes them to meet Lawrence, a rebellion leader, who helps Thomas, Newt, and Gally enter the Last City. Gally takes Thomas and Newt on a tour of the city and, after spotting Teresa, tells Thomas that he can get them into WCKD headquarters. Newt then reveals to Thomas that he is infected. Promising to cure him, Thomas and Gally capture Teresa.
Disguised as WCKD soldiers, Thomas, Newt, and Gally escort Teresa inside WCKD headquarters and toward the location of the Immunes. Gally looks after the Immune children and stays to find a serum that slows the Flare. Thomas, Teresa, and Newt go to find Minho, but are discovered and chased by Janson. Teresa lets them escape to find Minho before going to do a blood test on Thomas' blood, obtained when she was removing trackers from the Gladers. After delivering the Immune children and the serum to Brenda, Gally returns to WCKD headquarters to find Thomas. Brenda is forced to flee with the Immune children to avoid capture. Thomas and Newt reunite with Minho and escape from the WCKD building. Teresa discovers that Thomas' blood can cure the Flare. She shares her discovery with WCKD's leader, Ava Paige, both of whom agree that they must find Thomas. Brenda and the Immune children escape WCKD with Frypan's help.