Game of Thrones showrunners, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, revealed that they found Jason Momoa through fan casting pages. Momoa portrayed Dothraki leader Khal Drogo on the series, and many regarded it as his big break. Not long after his time on the show, the actor then went on to play the titular character in DC’s Aquaman. That film became a monumental box office success, taking in $1.02 billion worldwide, with a highly-anticipated sequel now in the works as well. But, before becoming the King of the Seven Seas, his turn as Drogo on Game of Thrones was one that was short-lived but revered by many.
Along with many fans of the series, Momoa also had some strong feelings about the show’s final season. Season 8 of HBO’s fantasy series proved to be its most divisive. Its final episode, in particular, was met with plenty of mixed reactions, with some fans even starting up a petition to have the final season re-written with new writers. Some of the biggest complaints around the series revolved around character arcs and how the series’ showrunners decided to wrap up certain storylines. Now, Benioff and Weiss are finally taking some time to address the series, especially its final season.
According to SyFy Wire, the Game of Thrones showrunners made an appearance this weekend at the Austin Film Festival and spoke about the “massive undertaking of adapting George R.R. Martin’s (still unfinished) fantasy novels for HBO.” Along with discussing the show’s many storylines and directing choices that were made along the way, they also discussed the lengthy casting process. When it came to casting Momoa, in particular, Benioff revealed that “It was really hard to find a good Khal Drogo,” but after “looking at some website that had ‘Fan Casting of Game of Thrones’,” they stumbled upon him. He explained that they’d “never heard of Jason before,” but they saw a picture of him and thought, “Well, that really does look like Khal Drogo.” They went on to add that his audition featured his “now-infamous Haka dance”, to which Weiss laughed and exclaimed, “No one asked him to do that.” Clearly, the casting decision worked in their favor, as Momoa made for a perfect Drogo in the series.
Despite its messy final season, HBO is moving forward with two different Game of Thrones spin-off series. Initially, five different sequels, prequels, and other companion series were being considered. Since that announcement, only one pilot has been ordered by HBO with another prequel series close to a pilot order. The former is said to chronicle the Long Night, long before the War of the Five Kings, while also revealing the true origin of the White Walkers. The latter, on the other hand, will follow the early days of House Targaryen.
The panel at the Austin Film Festival with Benioff and Weiss revealed a lot of things about the lengthy process of creating Game of Thrones, but the casting decision with Momoa is especially interesting. It’s proof that, sometimes, fans can be helpful in the creation process. Momoa made for a fantastic Khal Drogo, even if his appearance didn’t last very long. Thanks to the boost that Game of Thrones gave him, and his beloved role as Aquaman, it’s clear that Momoa has a bright future ahead of him.
