"The Maze Runner: The Death Cure" was originally slated to launch in theaters this coming Feb. 17, 2017. But as stated by The Hollywood Reporter, the movie has been delayed all the way to Jan. 12, 2018 in order to allow its lead star, Dylan O'Brien, to recover from his injuries sustained during an accident on the set.
According to Ecumenical News, the studios initially stated that the injuries were not too severe but retracted this statement some time later and declared that the injuries were more serious than initially perceived. However, the injuries were confirmed to be non-fatal at the moment and that O'Brien was on the way to recover.
The report also points out that many fans assume that the release date may be changed again given that the actor is out of the hospital and has fully recovered. The actor is reportedly filming scenes for "Teen Wolf" season 6, the final season of the hit show.
However, it is unlikely that the film will be given an early release date as the actor's schedule may have already been altered to the point of no return. O'Brien is currently filming "Teen Wolf" and once capable he will be back on the set to resume filming for "The Maze Runner: The Death Cure."
Post-production will follow and this can take several months. Marketing the film will also have to take place a few months prior to the film's release and this makes it quite unlikely that the film will launch earlier than January 2018.
While many young adult films based on books, such as "The Hunger Games" and "Harry Potter," have split their final entry into two films, the same was not done for "The Maze Runner" franchise. The studios have instead decided to film the final entry as a single film, which is the project that O'Brien needs to complete filming.
