‘Maze Runner’ Producer Hand-Picked Dylan O’Brien — Find Out Why He Was Perfect 

Few film franchises are criticized for their casting choices as much as adaptations of popular young adult novels. While the

movies received a lot of heat for casting a dark-skinned actress in the role of Rue, they were praised for their choice of lead in Jennifer Lawrence. Similarly, the

film series has been widely celebrated for casting Dylan O’Brien as the lead role of Thomas from the

books. Some behind-the-scenes footage from the first

film has been released, and it reveals why Dylan O’Brien was chosen to star as Thomas.

producer Wyck Godfrey for very specific reasons. Dylan was specially selected to bring a more relatable side to the character of Thomas, who isn’t quite as lovable in the

Godfrey also explains that Dylan O’Brien was goofy and charismatic, which brought a lot to the

franchise. Add to that, O’Brien was very athletic, which is a must-have for the

film tells the story of a group of teenagers with no memory of their past who are forced to guard a giant maze they call the Glade. Legend has it that the sting of a creature hidden within the Glade can restore the lost memories and unravel the mysterious pasts of Thomas and his companions.

Dylan O’Brien is best known for his work on the reboot of

, on which he worked with Wyck Godfrey. You can see O’Brien showing off the goofy side that got him the role of Thomas, in part, in another exclusive behind-the-scenes video from the

stars running through the green-screen sets and horsing around in between takes. When asked about who was fastest at running through the

Glade set between him and his co-star Ki Hong, Dylan O’Brien responded:

“I don’t want to say who’s faster. It’s not a contest. We’re both runners [laughs]. I mean, God, for every time that Ki Hong’s just given me a nice butt pat, and like a smooch, like ‘Let’s go baby!’ It’s just so funny, man.”

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