Game of Thrones villain to play villain in The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials

With THE MAZE RUNNER: SCORCH TRIALS set to begin production in just a few weeks, 20th Century Fox and director Wes Ball have found their villain for the rest of the franchise. While THE HUNGER GAMES was able to afford Donald Sutherland and TWILIGHT got Michael Sheen, this dystopian series of young adult novels had to make due with an actor who may be less of a household name but nonetheless an imposing antagonist.

GAME OF THRONES actor Aiden Gillen has joined THE MAZE RUNNER: SCORCH TRIALS as Janson, the villain also called Rat-Man. Gillen is best known as Littlefinger on GAME OF THRONES but has also appeared in films like THE DARK KNIGHT RISES and SHANGHAI KNIGHTS.

Thomas and the rest of the group's escape from the Maze and the horrifying creatures called Grievers has proven to be short-lived because WICKED, the group behind it all, has another trial in store for them. Sun flares have destroyed most of the Earth, and a virus called the Flare has ravaged its population. Infected people turn into zombies called Cranks that attack and eat one other. The kids are told that they have the Flare but if they succeed in surviving the second trial, they will be cured.

THE MAZE RUNNER has grossed over $100 million globally since it opened on a $34 million budget making a sequel a no-brainer. The plot for the second film sounds a little more intriguing that the first, so hopefully this casting will be the first of many improvements moving into the sequel.

THE MAZE RUNNER: SCORCH TRIALS is set to open on September 18, 2015.