Bastian Schweinsteiger Named New Germany Captain by Joachim Low

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Bastian Schweinsteiger has been named the new captain of the German national team, replacing Philipp Lahm in the role after he retired from international football this summer.

The national team's official Twitter account revealed on Tuesday that Schweinsteiger would take the armband and seek to improve further upon the side's recent triumphs after winning the 2014 World Cup in Brazil:

Schweinsteiger has made 108 appearances for Germany since debuting in 2004, establishing himself as one of Joachim Low's key players during that 10-year tenure.

In Germany, rumours had grown that Sami Khedira would receive the call, per ESPN FC's Stephan Uersfeld, with German magazine Kickerquoted in the report supposing: "Anyone but Khedira receiving the call would come as surprise."

Pool/Getty Images

Schweinsteiger's performances at club level have reflected his value in a leadership role, having captained Bayern Munich on numerous occasions in the past.

After Lahm, Schweinsteiger closely follows his club team-mate in passing prestige, too, as WhoScored.com illustrates:

The reigning Bundesliga champions were swift to congratulate their playmaker, an ever-present figure among their ranks for more than a decade now:

Die Mannschaft will be hopeful of ensuring this summer's World Cup glory was merely the start of a new age in prosperity for Germany, with Schweinsteiger set to lead the team for the first time on Wednesday.

Is Schweinsteiger the right choice as captain?

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Germany face Argentina in a midweek friendly against Argentina, a re-staging of this year's World Cup final, before taking on Scotland in Sunday's Euro 2016 qualifier.

Schweinsteiger is unavailable for Wednesday's game through injury, but should he take to the field against the Scots, the 30-year-old will become the outright fifth-most capped player Germany has produced, currently tied with Jurgen Klinsmann for that honour.

In his absence, Manuel Neuer has been announced by Bayern Munich as the temporary captain, having been among the contenders for the full-time position prior to Tuesday's reveal:

Schweinsteiger will treat Lahm's example as one worth following in any case. Germany were constantly viewed among the favourites for any major international competition with him as their guide.

According to Transfermarkt, Schweinsteiger's 108 appearances in German colours have produced 23 goals and 39 assists, showing his worth as a direct threat on goal as well as a calming presence for his team-mates.

Commanding his countrymen just as he does at the Allianz Arena, Schweinsteiger brings another winning mentality to the armband, giving Low another reliable figure with whom he can entrust his squad's future.

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Javier Hernandez's Brace Proof Chicharito Is Vital Bench Piece for Real Madrid

A promising-turned-tumultuous early career for Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez is quickly turning around in his first few weeks with Real Madrid.

He made his third career cap for the Spanish giants on Saturday against Deportivo, and it was one to remember. After being substituted on, his only two shots were outside-the-box goals to notch a brace and help power Madrid late to a 8-2 drubbing of the newly promoted side.

Manchester United sent Hernandez to Madrid on a loan deal that has the potential to become a full purchase after Louis van Gaal cleaned house with a number of large-scale signings. He was expendable there after an up-and-down couple of seasons, but one club's trash is another's treasure.

And on Sunday, well, Chicharito simply looked like the player many expected to see more often after his breakout 2010-11 campaign. Fox Soccer captured his magnificent first goal:

As if that stunning strike wasn't enough to wow Los Blancos fans, he offered up another long-range missile in stoppage time that deflected off a defender and had too much pace for the Deportivo goalkeeper to keep up with.

That made both of Chicharito's first two goals outside-the-box shots, which he didn't score one of with Manchester United as Squawka Football illustrated:

That's not bad for a player known solely for his up-close finishing and inside-the-area prowess.

What's more is that not only were they of such impressive fashion, but they were also his first two shot attempts in a La Liga match, per WhoScored.com:

It was a crazy summer to say the least for Real Madrid, one that saw the arrival of James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos along with the sudden departure of Xabi Alonso and Angel Di Maria just before the season. But somewhat under the rug was the loss of squad striker Alvaro Morata—the chief replacement to Karim Benzema.

Carlo Ancelotti's side was linked to a number of high-profile strikers to fill the void but instead rolled the dice, hoping that Benzema could shoulder the load and Hernandez could excel in relief surrounded by such a stout attacking line.

The French striker hasn't gotten off to a strong start in 2014-15, but Hernandez? Well, it looks like he's settling right in.

We saw the Mexican national team reap success in the World Cup with Chicharito largely coming off the bench, and he made an impact in almost every appearance. He failed to show that same ability with the Red Devils, but a change of scenery has made all the difference.

Hernandez told Claro Sports (via the Mirror's Ben Burrows):

There was no confidence. I remained patient and that’s why I’m here today. It was a very tough year especially because they didn’t believe in me. 

I had the chance to meet Ancelotti when he was Chelsea coach. The faith he has in his players motivates me and makes me work hard.

I really want to make the most of my time here. Any footballer dreams about joining Real Madrid. I know I'm here for a reason. The statistics support me, I'm a good player and a good person.

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

To say that the Champions League winners have gotten off to a strong start domestically would be a bold-faced lie, with two defeats in their first four matches. But after outscoring their last two overall opponents 13-3, it's looking like Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and company are set on putting those early struggles in the background.

Hernandez figures to be a big part of that, with Ancelotti opting to go with him regularly off the bench as the backup striker. And so far, he's making his boss look like a very smart man.

Time will tell if Chicharito is able to shoulder the load over the course of the season—with a packed slate of European competition along with La Liga, Madrid will need his impact more often than not. But early indications are that Madrid pulled off a deadline-day steal when they acquired the Mexican forward.

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Ariana Grande is on the brink of a major image problem

Singer and actress Ariana Grande, 21, has everything going for her to become America's next pop culture princess. Her YouTube covers from her pre-superstar days have millions of views. She spent years in front of the cameras on beloved Nickelodeon shows, resulting in a fiercely loyal fanbase of young girls and tweens. This summer, her pop career exploded with hit ("Problem") after hit ("Break Free") after hit ("Bang Bang"), the latter of which united her with Nicki Minaj, signaling acceptance within the A-list music crowd.

As it happens when any celebrity starts to experience massive fame, the detractors start sharpening their knives. So it's not too surprising that in the last month, Grande has had a flood of negative headlines in the press, with stories all that claim virtually the same thing: She's already very high-maintenance and exhibiting diva-esque behavior. (Requiring to only be photographed from the left side of her face; refusing to answer certain questions; acting rude to fans, etc.)

At first glance, this isn't a damaging claim: Which pop star isn't demanding? Doesn't that come with the territory? On some level, sure. But Grande is in a particularly precarious position. Because despite the fact that she's had a lot of success recently (her latest album "My Everything" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts in August) she's still a very, very new name. And as we've learned repeatedly through the trials and tribulations of many stars, our culture has a strange fascination with seeing the "fall" of a newcomer as much as the "rise." (See: Spears, Britney.) If too many wrong moves are made in the very beginning, the Grande takeover could be over before it even really begins - and the narrative of her reputation will be out of her control.

Diva antics: Stories of the pop star's rude behaviour are beginning to stack up.

So what can she do to battle this potential image problem? First and foremost, fix the most damaging claims that involve the lifeblood that makes or breaks a new performer, particularly one aimed at a younger crowd: The fans. Last month, a blog post went viral when a father detailed how his daughters were crushed during an ill-fated meeting with Grande, after they won an art contest to "hang out" with her at the MTV Video Music Awards (after laboring over art projects to prove how much they idolized her). The pop star barely acknowledged the winners, he said, only snapping at them to delete candid photos of her.

Later, Grande defended herself and explained she had to walk away from the girls immediately because she got emotional when they gave her a drawing of her and her late grandfather. (Grande talked about him in public so frequently that #RIPGrandpaGrande became a worldwide trending topic when he died this summer.) In an updated post, the girls' father said he was contacted by Grande's rep who asked him to change the blog with this explanation. When he told the rep that Grande was dismissive before his daughters showed her the drawing, the publicist responded "that this post had become a legitimate news story and that it was Ariana's album release week, and the story was making her uncomfortable."

Unfortunately for Grande, while she laughs off the rumours about how funny these "lies" are, stories like that overshadow all of the effort she does put in with her fans. On the outside, she seems as sweet as can be: Constant tweets to her beloved 19 million Twitter followers ("Arianators"), taking selfies, meeting people at shows, etc. However, by acting one way in public and having unflattering stories leak from behind the scenes, it makes the kindness seem like a complete facade for publicity reasons.

Image probelm: Ariana Grande. Photo: Getty Images

Other stories are piling on, too: This week, the New York Daily News reported that after a Manhattan radio show, Grande had some unkind words for her fans. According to an industry source: "She did autographs and pics and was all smiles until she got into the elevator. And as soon as the doors shut she said, 'I hope they all (expletive) die.'"

Grande's reps declined to comment on the story. They also didn't offer much of an explanation recently when Grande abruptly dropped two tour dates off her first headlining tour early next year. Fans in the Washington area (Patriot Center) and Houston (Toyota Center) flipped out on Twitter when the two shows from the Honeymoon Tour suddenly disappeared off Ticketmaster on the day of the ticket pre-sale, with zero explanation. When contacted, reps at both venues said that the shows had been removed from the tour because Grande had "another commitment." Grande's publicist said the tour "changed routing."

At this point in Grande's career, it's all about being transparent. That's why artists frequently take to social media when an appearance is canceled and explain. By just letting the dates drop without a word, that's going to create some very angry tweens.

The upcoming tour is also a sore spot for some fans because of the astronomical price: The VIP package to meet Grande cashes in at a whopping $495. Not completely unusual for a major tour, but what's really twisting the knife is that you don't even get a photo with Grande - it's a group picture. Even Grande defenders aren't pleased.

As those issues have been building, her reputation in the industry is one of difficulty. Again, pretty standard for celebrities. Yet many are a combination of amused and concerned that someone who's just starting out can act that way. In an already famous incident, during a photoshoot in Australia, Grande allegedly bailed on photographers when she didn't like the photos being taken. Members of the media were also given strict instructions not to ask about her relationships; her mysteriously-canceled Nickelodeon show "Sam and Cat"; Justin Bieber; her grandfather; and several other topics.

Grande's behavior has already been dissected by people in the entertainment world. According to Page Six, E! host Giuliana Rancic also ran into problems during a red carpet interview with Grande, as her managers made everyone scramble to shoot her from the left side.

"It's one thing if it's Mariah [Carey]," Rancic said name-checking the singer that Grande is compared to most often. "I'll get on any side. . .I'll do whatever it takes. But when you're new on the block, trying to earn your stripes. . .Try to earn a great reputation, try to go overboard to please people."

While more of these headlines arrive every day, rumours or not, Grande continues to lightly debunk them all, mostly on Twitter.

What's much more effective: Showing instead of telling. While just a few of the stories can be dismissed as rumours, it remains a growing problem as more and more anecdotes are spilling forth with very similar details.

Grande has a hugely successful career in front of her, but the fastest way to go from a budding superstar to a late-night TV punchline is to become known more for your behavior than your music. (See: Bieber, Justin.) If she can get out in front of these stories and prove that she really is grateful for all of the love in her direction, the only thing her fans will be able to do is love her back.

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Dark Drama 'The Riot Club' Is Never Dull, But Lacks Bite

'The Riot Club' may lack bite, though it's an interesting movie that's probably worth your cash this weekend.

The Riot Club, formerly known as 'Posh' and based on Laura Wade's 2010 play, is a difficult movie to unpick. Some early cinemagoers have spoken of feeling mixed emotions - this is ultimately a satire of the debauched private society Bullingdon Club, though Lone Scherfig's movie makes it difficult to despise these young men, effortlessly portrayed by Max Irons, Sam Claflin and Douglas Booth.

The Riot Club features an energetic, talented young cast

"It's a sharp satirical cartoon of English class warfare and class conspiracy - though it fudges a final point of plot-jeopardy and I suspect a director like Thomas Vinterberg or Lars von Trier would have made it a hardcore nightmare," said Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian.

"Brits might object to such an enraging portrayal, which veers between salacious and cynical, though Scherfig's unique perspective is just one more reason she was such a smart choice to handle this material," said Peter Debruge of Variety.

"Scherfig gives us the worst of both worlds: there is none of the infectious glee of bad behaviour but plenty of hand-wringing in the morning after. Her film is all hangover," said Ryan Gilbey of the New Statesman.

Hey it's those Riot Club scamps

"While the dark drama is never dull, its portrait of upper-crust entitlement run amok is seldom surprising either," said David Rooney of the Hollywood Reporter.

"It's almost as if the film has been designed to make fans of Downton Abbey realise the error of their ways. Are you impressed - aroused, even - by the stinking rich? If so, get ready to hold your nose," said Charlotte O'Sullivan of This Is London.

More: 'The Riot Club' is far more than a posh knees up

Scherfig is keen to express that the Riot Club boys exist separately from regular students at Oxford. During an interview with the Oxford Student newspaper, the director explained, "We are all in complete awe of Oxford, for very good reasons! The more you research that place, the more you understand how incredibly valuable it is. And we also hope to show it; when you see a glimpse of a tutorial - we hope to show that these boys are very isolated from the Oxford world."

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The Fault in Our Stars' Nat Wolff Shares the BEST Story About Jared Leto With Us

There are many, many reasons we loved The Fault in Our Stars, and one of them was Nat Wolff's portrayal of Isaac, the best friend of Augustus (Ansel Elgort), who loses his eyesight to cancer. We caught up with the star just in time for today's DVD and Blu-ray release of the film to hear stories from the set (he and Ansel bonded over music), what's next for him, and the best story we've ever heard about Jared Leto.

ZOOM

The Fault in Our Stars was a huge success this summer. What's that been like? Any thing surprise you?
Nat Wolff: I mean, the whole thing surprised me. I guess somehow I deluded myself into thinking that we were just making a movie with friends. [Laughs] I did know what a huge, massive success the book was—but you never know, you know? I knew that this movie didn't have any car chases or any zombies. It was just amazing. I'm so proud to be a part of this movie.

Why do you think fans feel so connected to the story?
NW: I think that it's honest, and John Green doesn't talk down to teenagers. He really loves and respects them, so the source material really celebrated teenagers. Obviously, people of all ages are going to see it, but it touched teens. It's really exciting for me because it seems like almost every other movie about teenagers that was a big hit in the last years has been these fantasy movies—it's exciting that it's more of a realistic depiction of teenagers' lives. Hopefully that'll carry on into other teen movies.

It seems like the cast and crew developed these great friendships. What do you miss the most about working with everyone?
NW: A lot of times you'll do a movie, and you'll be working with adults with families and kids and stuff. There's a level—you guys aren't going to be hanging out every second, you know? But with the three of us [me, Ansel, and Shailene Woodley], we just wanted to hang out with each other. Any time we weren't working, we were hanging, and that's great. It feels like you get on set and you're with your family.

Any favorite memories?
NW: Ansel and I had apartments right next to each other, so I would play him my new songs with my brother [Alex Wolff] because my brother would be sending me rough mixes of our songs from the studio. And Ansel would be playing different EDM tracks that he'd do, so we'd be going back and forth, which was fun and cool.

You're also going to be starring in another movie based on a John Green novel, Paper Towns. What can you tell us about that?
NW: When I was on set of Fault, Wyck Godfrey, the producer, said, "Hey, you should read Paper Towns!" So I read it, and I loved it. Four months later, I got a call asking "Hey, Nat, do you want to play Quentin?" Before he could finish the sentence, I was like, "Oh, yeah! Sure."

What attracted you to the role?
NW: Obviously, I adore that group of people. I love the screenwriters, and I love John Green, and I love Wyck. I loved the experience of Fault, so I wanted to do it again. But if it wasn't a great book or script, I wouldn't want to be a part of it—and it is a great part and a great, great book. It's made a really good script.

What's it like working with John?
NW: Great. When we're working together, he doesn't really tell me anything about my acting—and I don't tell him anything about his writing—but we've become really close friends.

How involved did he get? 
NW: Oh, totally! He was there the entire time we were shooting. He's respectful of the movie-making process. He'd never even been on a movie set before, so he wasn't coming up to people and overloading them with notes. That's not his job; that's director Josh Boone's job. Instead, he would give us support. He was kind of—and I mean this in total respect because I think it's a great thing to have on set—he was kind of a cheerleader to the actors and the director and saying we were doing the right thing and a good job. That's great to have because there's so many things going on in a movie set, and actors get so insecure, so it's great to have somebody saying, "Look, this is exactly how I pictured it in my head. You guys are doing fine." Then we knew we'd be appeasing the fans of the book if he's happy.

Are there any other dream books you'd want to star in, if a movie was made?
NW: I mean, Catcher in the Rye would never get made into a movie because J.D. Salinger was really against movies—and you can tell because Holden hates movies in the book—but that would be so cool. I'd play the little sister, of course. [Laughs]

With your movie career taking off, how have you been balancing music?
NW: It's been hard only scheduling-wise. What's great is Alex and I will send each other tracks while I work and while he works. Any time I'm free, we're playing shows and putting out music. We had a song in Fault in Our Stars, "Rules," so there's different ways worlds collide. I actually got to meet Jared Leto at a party, and I went up to him and was talking to him about how great I think he is. We were talking about being musicians and actors and how to balance the two, and I asked, "How do you schedule doing both?" He started giving me an answer, but then this beautiful blond model walked up and he was like, "Hold on one second." And then I never talked to him again. Never heard from him again, but I'll take it.

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The Avengers 2: What We Know So Far About Age Of Ultron

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the most ambitious film franchises put together by a studio, and perhaps the best thing about it is how every move made within it continues to build and add toward something bigger and better. With each new story we learn more and more about the world behind the silver screen, and we are always left with a perfect mix of satisfaction and want for more. Because of the intricate details of the comic book world, anything is possible, and it’s great fun to speculate about the implications of every twist, turn and maneuver as they lead to Marvel Studios’ second big landmark film: The Avengers: Age of Ultron. 

The mega blockbuster is now nearly here as Phase II films like Shane Black’s Iron Man 3, Alan Taylor’s Thor: The Dark World, Joe and Anthony Russo’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy have all found their respective ways into theaters over the last two years. Obviously they all have a huge impact on the future of the MCU, but what do we know so far and how will it lead to next summer’s big movie? What is the latest development with all of the characters involved? Read on below as I break it all down! 

Joss Whedon

Joss Whedon is the only non-fictional person/being who gets his own section on this list, but that should just stress how important he is to the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and, therefore, The Avengers: Age of Ultron. In August 2012 it was revealed that the writer/director had signed a three-year deal with Marvel Studios that not only locked him in to both write and direct a sequel to his first massively successful blockbuster, but to serve as a guide for what has been dubbed Phase Two. After months of working on the script, the director is now hard at work putting together the movie, taking his cast and crew to multiple exotic shooting locations around the world. When it comes out in May, Avengers 2 will be entirely Joss Whedon’s vision of what a blockbuster sequel should be. 

Iron Man

Tony Stark went through some interesting changes in the end of Iron Man 3, which should leave him in an interesting place leading up to Avengers 2. The billionaire playboy philanthropist was shown not only destroying all of his Iron Man suits, but also finally getting the arc reactor out of his chest – suggesting that he was done with the superhero lifestyle. Following the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., he and Stark Industries entered into the world of private global security, and while this may seem like a good idea, it’s also what leads to the creation of a new supervillain: Ultron (more on him below!) 

Thor

Just like what Iron Man 3 did for Iron Man, Thor: The Dark World left its titular hero in an interesting position right before the credits rolled. The end of the film featured the God of Thunder rejecting the throne of Asgard in favor of returning to Earth so that he can be with his love, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). This means that when it comes time for The Avengers to reassemble, Thor won’t even have to travel by wormhole to answer the call – he can just swing his hammer around and fly back to the Avengers Tower in Manhattan . The audience knows that Thor actually left Asgard to be ruled under the iron fist of Loki (Tom Hiddleston), but he probably won’t figure that out until Thor 3, given that the villainous character won’t be appearing inAvengers 2. 

Captain America

Of all the films we’ve seen in Phase Two, Captain America: The Winter Soldier has had by far the biggest impact on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only did the eponymous hero have to deal with a horror from his past in the form of The Winter Soldier, S.H.I.E.L.D. turned out to be a massively corrupt institution that had been taken over by HYDRA and subsequently destroyed by our heroes. The movie leaves Cap not only in a future he’s unfamiliar with, but really unable to trust anyone around him. Perhaps his only salvation are his fellow superheroes in the Avengers squad.Set photos have shown that the patriotic hero is getting yet another costume change in the movie, so obviously he’s getting close with somebody.

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How The Fault In Our Stars Turned $16 Million Into A Phenomenon

To say that the feature adaptation of John Green's The Fault In Our Stars was a success would be an understatement, especially when we take into account the movie's modest $16 million budget. It's a big week for the Josh Boone directed film, not only because it just released on home video this week, but it also managed to pass the $300 million mark at the worldwide box office. 

Deadline reported news of the milestone today. The site also notes that it was producers Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey who pursued the adaptation and encouraged Fox to move it forward. Their efforts obviously paid off. The Fault In Our Stars' domestic gross has surpassed $124 million at the box office, $48 million of that was earned in its opening weekend. The film brought in another $174 million-plus internationally, bringing the total to cross the $300 million mark. 

Fans of John Green's novel probably don't need an explanation as to how this movie performed so successfully. However, Deadline brings up some good points about the factors that may have helped Fault reach box office success, including the stars of the film,John Green's involvement and impressive social media presence, andFault's release proximity to Divergent. Were these elements a winning formula for box office success? Let's take a closer look... 

Star Power And Good Timing

Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort are up and comers, no doubt. Their talent and chemistry played a huge factor in The Fault in Our Stars turning out to be a great adaptation of a great book. But it also helps that both actors starred -- Woodley more prominently than Elgort -- in the feature adaptation of Divergent, which came out earlier that year and brought in $54 million in its opening weekend. Elgort and Woodley's involvement in Divergent likely helped boost their star power a bit leading into Fault's release. 

It seems worth noting that The Fault In Our Stars' total box office surpassedDivergent's. While Divergent performed better domestically, with $150 million brought in stateside, Fault's impressive international gross pushed the film pastDivergent's $286 million worldwide haul. 

Green Power And Social Media

John Green is no stranger to the internet, and the internet is where all of the people are. That in itself has huge value to a movie in terms of generating buzz and interest. Being smart, personable and charismatic goes a long way, and John Green is all three. The millions of YouTube followers who subscribe to John and his brother Hank's channel can attest to that. The author having his own massive following likely helped add some exposure to the film. 

Beyond that, Fox's efforts to promote The Fault in our Stars weren't limited to simply flooding the internet with clips and trailers, but extended to finding ways to bring fans together, including launching a nationwide tour. They also did an advanced screening event called "The Night Before Our Stars, which probably helped boost that opening weekend box office. Tickets for the screening were $25 a piece. 

Good Source Material

Good source material doesn't guarantee a great movie, nor does it guarantee a successful movie. In addition to great direction, a solid script, which didn't stray too far from the book, and outstanding performances by Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Laura Dern and everyone else involved, The Fault In Our Stars certainly benefited from its source material and the fan base that came with it. Whether it's the romance between Hazel and Gus, the challenges Hazel faces with her illness and her determination to meet her favorite author, or simply Hazel's candid, sometimes humorous narrative, the book has a lot of appeal and it translated nicely to the screen, which likely contributed to its success at the box office. 

Fault's June release date may have also played a factor in its box office success. At least, Fox may seem to think so as they just scheduled the feature adaptation of John Green's Paper Towns for June 19, 2015. Will it find similar box office success? 

The Fault In Our Stars is now available on DVD/Blu-ray. 

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BYU grad and 'The Maze Runner' author talks about new movie

THE GLADE — The highly anticipated movie adaptation of the New York Times best-selling book “The Maze Runner” is now in theaters, and it’s been receiving great reviews from both fans and critics.

The film is boasting a 61 percent on Rottentomatoes with an audience percentage of 81.

The film is exciting, visual and captivating and that is thanks to the source material written by BYU graduate and Utah resident James Dashner.

Dashner has always had a passion for writing, but he graduated from Brigham Young and went into accounting. While he worked professionally as an accountant, he never stopped writing, and “The Maze Runner” gave him the opportunity to leave that behind forever.

“My heart bleeds for accountants,” Dashner told us on the Flix Junkies podcast. “I don’t miss it even in the slightest, tiniest, little bit.”

“The Maze Runner” spent several weeks on the New York Times best-seller list, and Dashner said when 20th Century Fox told him they wanted to make his book into a movie, it was a dream come true.

“It’s clearly the highlight of my career.”

Dashner said he is a huge movie buff and that movies like “Star Wars,” “Indiana Jones,” “Alien,” “Terminator” and “Back to the Future” were huge influencers on his writing.

The tone and spirit and vision of what I wrote is totally in the movie. It's unbelievable.

–James Dashner, author

“So many classic movies in the ’80s that inspired my writing.”

Dashner told us that more recent films that have inspired him include “The Matrix,” “Edge of Tomorrow” and anything by Christopher Nolan. Dashner mentioned that original films like “Inception” or “The Matrix” are his bread and butter and the types of films that he wants to go see in the theater.

When asked what films inspired “The Maze Runner,” we were a bit surprised by his answer.

“ ‘The Shining’ was probably the first inspiration.”

Dashner said the classic horror film’s iconic maze scene started a borderline obsession with mazes, which eventually blossomed into a best-selling novel.

Other inspirations on “The Maze Runner” included the book “The Lord of the Flies” and the TV series “Lost.” When you read the book or see the film, all three of these inspirations are clearly visible.

For those who are big fans of the book, Dashner says you’ll be happy with the film.

“Luckily for me and hopefully for my readers, I was very involved,” Dashner said. “I think my contribution at least helped them to keep their focus on, you know, pleasing the fans of books. I think they found a really good balance between that and, you know, the difficulty of translating a book to a different medium.

“The tone and spirit and vision of what I wrote is totally in the movie. It’s unbelievable.”

Dashner said this experience has given him the moviemaking bug and that’s something he wants to explore further.

“I’ve learned so much from this experience that I definitely want to try it (screenwriting). So, it’s a goal of mine, some time in the next five years to write an original screenplay.”

There’s something we all have to look forward to now, an original screenplay from James Dashner.

“The Maze Runner” is now in theaters and is rated PG-13 for thematic elements and intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, including some disturbing images.

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