With The Scorch Trials images and more slowly starting to release, Wes Ball talks with Empire Magazine about making the film.
On The Scorch:
It's definitely a cool world, kind of ravaged by the sun, so everything's kind of burned and that's why it's called The Scorch. But it's also full of very hostile people, including creatures they have to meet up and deal with. What was kind of appealing to me was that it didn't have to be a rehash of the first film, we got to go into a completely different look, a different kind of environment, and different threats altogether, but to still tell the story of these characters we fell in love with from the first movie.
On the filming process:
Obviously certain parts of it were easier this time, which was fun. But in terms of scope, it's huge. I saw it as the Empire Strikes Back of this three- movie series and there are a ton of locations and a lot of action that happens, and it's that middle instalment of that three story arc, especially the way it starts, because we're thrown into the action and right where the last one left off with these kids in a helicopter and they go off to the next thing in a dramatic way. It's exciting to just jump into this thing.
On the adaptation process:
We didn't approach this as a straight adaptation of the second book, we approached it more as using the same ingredients but using slightly different recipe. So things from the first book end up in the second movie and there are things in the second book we're saving for a third movie.
On his future involvement with the series:
We'll see. I don’t want to say anything yet! I wasn't planning on making the second movie right away, but I couldn't deny wanting to work with this cast again and keep making the story. I'll be involved forever, and feel like I should be a custodian, whether I direct the next one or not.
