Week three of filming on The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials was underway at Albuquerque, New Mexico’s I-25 Studios when Hypable visited the set last fall. Although the first Maze Runner movie filmed in Louisiana, the production moved to beautiful Albuquerque for the sequel. Anyone who’s read the book knows why this makes perfect sense: The Scorch Trials dramatically shifts the setting of the story to a desert landscape.

We’ll be sharing details about The Scorch Trials sets we visited in the weeks ahead, but for now we wanted to release highlights from our interviews with lead actors Dylan O’Brien (Thomas) and Kaya Scodelario (Teresa). The two stars, pictured above with director Wes Ball, offered up lots of interesting teases about the upcoming sequel, including thoughts on the film’s YA-bending relationships.

With Dylan O’Brien

The actor decided to drive himself from Los Angeles to Albuquerque — an 11-hour drive across the American Southwest — for the two-month Scorch Trials shoot.

On Thomas at the start of ‘Scorch’

“In the first movie it was so much about Thomas becoming that leader and being that driving force and inevitably being their only chance of going out and making it. And now he’s just lost Chuck, and that weighs heavily on him. It’s a continuation, so you pick up right where we left off [in The Maze Runner] which is basically immediately after Chuck’s death. So he’s just got a lot of weight on his shoulders now, because he feels responsible for this group of kids. He knows that he was the reason [for their difficulties], and he put it all out on the line and now it’s kind of like, ‘Well I hope this doesn’t end up being even worse.’ So it’s sort of like balancing a guilt factor, but still needing to find that strength to keep moving forward and not give up.”

On the major differences between ‘The Maze Runner’ and ‘The Scorch Trials’

“We loved shooting the first one. It was like our little home. Like the Glade was literally our little camp. And then we had the maze. But this one I feel like each week we’re at a different location. So it’s really cool. It’s much bigger, we’re out in the desert, Jorge’s lair is really cool. All of these new places you’re going to see, but mainly it’s like – we’re not trapped anymore. We’re out in the world. And that kind of does something to our characters. I think that’s interesting. We’re no longer forced to be together. So this movie is very much about whether we make that choice to stay together.”

On real injuries: ‘*Shoulder clicking*’

“In the first one, I had like a shoulder, hang on… [clicks his shoulder] Do you hear that?! See that’s my Maze Runner shoulder injury. And I had like a right knee problem from the first one that I think now has subsided. And in this one so far, I mean we’ve only been going a couple weeks. But you know, you’re always being physical so there’s always stuff [happening to your body].”

On Thomas’ relationships with Brenda and Teresa: Romance ‘never at the forefront’

“Another thing I love about our story here is that we never harp on romance. That’s never at the forefront. Even for a second. What I like is that they’re very personal connections. It’s two very different connections between Thomas and Teresa, and Thomas and Brenda.

“I think for Thomas and Teresa in the first movie it’s a place of comfort. It just makes them feel at home. It’s just familiarity basically. ‘Yes this makes me feel safe. I remember you.’ And there’s something really sweet and romantic about that by itself without it having to be like a kissy scene or like, ‘Hey, nice socks on your hand!’ You know? That’s what I love about our movie. Because there’s never a place to stop and do that. That’s so unrealistic. And we tried to do this as authentically as we could. No flack to any of the other films but – I do love those movies, but then I’ll hate it when all of a sudden they’re making out, and I’m like, ‘Okay, but PEOPLE DYING! YOUR LIVES ARE IN DANGER!'”

“Then in this story obviously Thomas and Teresa experience their first butting of heads. Sort of a disagreement. And she does something pretty major and simultaneously he meets Brenda and has a connection with her. There’s a different thing there. Brenda is much different than Teresa. They’re just completely different characters and they’re completely different relationships. They kind of get paired up at one point and he feels for her. He kind of understands her past a little bit and I guess sympathizes with her. But again it’s not in your face and it’s not like, you know, ‘I meet Brenda now let’s go date!’ That’s what I love about it. I rather it be sort of cultivated by the audience. Like them being like ‘Oh, I like those two’ rather than it being thrown at you or forced on you. And I have complete faith that that’ll be the case. I feel like they’re going to [root for] me and Brenda’s connection, and I think they’re going to be people who love me and Teresa’s connection. And they’re going to be rooting for us despite maybe never even getting it. Who knows what’s going to be in the third movie!”

On Page 2: Kaya Scodelario discusses more women joining ‘The Maze Runner’ series and a new weapon for Teresa

With Kaya Scodelario

In a separate interview we spoke with Kaya Scodelario, and she had similar feelings as O’Brien concerning the relationship between her character and Thomas.

On Thomas and Teresa’s relationship: ‘It goes against the grain’

“What I’ve always kind of loved about their relationship and the reason I wanted to do this job is because it kind of goes against the grain. There’s no romantic element and there doesn’t need to be. Because there isn’t time. These kids are all about surviving and taking the next step during whatever situation they’re in. So we don’t have a moment where they walk off into the forest and kiss. Because it’s ridiculous. It’s not how women work.

“We want to survive just as much and we want to fight just as much. We pick up in the same sort of circumstances. This movie for me is a giant chase. They’re chasing and running against time and they’re running against Cranks and Wicked and there’s all of these elements going into it. So again, it’s all about them trusting each other, trying to bring the group together a lot more, and getting on with it. So we’ve kind of again tried to stay clear of the romantic element because — I mean their connection to me is so special. I have a lot of male friends and it’s the same kind of connection I have with them. And that doesn’t mean that we have to kiss. It just doesn’t. It’s not the world we live in anymore. And for them it’s just simply that there isn’t enough time.”

On more women joining the cast for ‘Scorch’

“I mean it’s cool. I like working with good actors, I like working with good people. Whether they’re male or female, it doesn’t really affect my opinion of them for me. And it was the same the last year with all the boys. I’d kind of get asked a lot about being the only girl, and it just is. You know? It doesn’t feel any different. They’re all very respectful and very nice and kind and we get on as friends and human beings. And the same with Rosa. She’s just a great new addition to it. She’s someone that we can get to know again and discover her story and where she’s from and how she fits into our group. It’s just exciting. She could be male, female, or a dinosaur.”

“So you didn’t give [Rosa] any advice then?” a reporter asked her.

“Naw! She’s a cool chick! She can look after herself as much as me. Before I met her I kind of looked through her tweets on Twitter and I was like, ‘Yeah we’re going to get on!'”

On weapons training: No spear!

“She doesn’t have a spear in the movie… Sorry! I have a hammer. We got to pick our own weapons and I saw the hammer and was like, ‘That’s fucking cool.'”

On a new costume for Teresa: It’s not girly

“I don’t want to call it girly because it’s not like a flowery dress. Thank God. But it’s kinda nice… She picks it which I think is interesting. You know there’s a scene where they’re in a mall and it’s all run down and fucked up and she picks it. And I think it’s a nice little human moment. She’s kind of choosing what she likes. And it’s still tough. I still think it’s very tough – but yeah my boyfriend was like, ‘Oh you look prettier.’ And I was like,’Well thank you!'”

‘The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials’ opens September 18, 2015.

Interviews were edited for clarity. Transcriptions by Brook Wentz.