Emilia Clarke Was Keen to Work With Jennifer Lawrence’s Ex After ‘Game of Thrones’ Fame but Fate Had Different Plans

Game of Thrones raised Emilia Clarke from being a relatively unknown actress to global fame. She made her role of Daenerys Targaryen known across the world, earning her many awards and nominations.

One of the many dreams Clarke had after her rise to stardom was to collaborate with one of Hollywood’s most unique directors. The director, who is known for his psychological storytelling, earlier directed Jennifer Lawrence in a project that affected both their personal and professional lives.

Emilia Clarke’s unfulfilled wish to work with Jennifer Lawrence’s ex-boyfriend

Emilia Clarke‘s journey to fame was not straightforward. Before joining Game of Thrones as Daenerys Targaryen, she had only done one guest appearance in the British soap opera Doctor and appeared in the TV film Triassic Attack. Game of Thrones turned her life around.

The show alone paved the way for the British actress and gave way to her entry to great franchises, including Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, Clarke was specific about who she wanted to work with.

In an interview with Westeros.org, when Clarke was asked about which director she would like to work with, she expressed her interest in working with Jennifer Lawrence’s ex-boyfriend, Darren Aronofsky. 

There are many. But if I had to choose one? Darren Aronofsky, that’s probably the biggest. We’ll see, Game of Thrones first.

This interest was especially important because the director himself is a fan of Game of Thrones. In an interview on IndieWire’s Filmmaker’s Toolkit podcast, when Aronofsky was asked about his plans for the holiday season, he said,

I just want to relax a little bit, catch up on ‘Rick and Morty‘ season three and ‘Game of Thrones‘ season seven.

Aronofsky has worked in movies like Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream, and The Wrestler and has received several recognitions and even Academy Award nominations. He began dating Jennifer Lawrence while shooting for Mother!. However, they got separated in November 2017.

Although Clarke and Aronofsky’s collaboration sounds promising, it hasn’t happened yet even five years after the finale of Game of Thrones. Aronofsky’s recent work includes The Whale and Postcard from Earth, among others he produced and directed. Clarke has worked in Secret Invasion, The Amazing Maurice, The Pod Generation, and The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland since Game of Thrones. 

Will Emilia Clarke return to Westeros?

Warner Bros. has recently started working on a Game of Thrones film. As per The Hollywood Reporter, the project is in an early development state, and no director, cast, or writer is currently tied to it. However, it shows a significant change in how the studio is approaching George R. R. Martin’s stories.

However, the return of the mother of dragons still remains uncertain. When asked about the potential of her returning to Kit Harington’s Jon Snow spinoff series in an interview with ExtraTV, Emilia Clarke stated,

I don’t think so. Kit, I love you. I’ma watch that one because of you or I’m gonna tell you that I did, but I won’t be in it. No, I don’t think so. He hasn’t called.

Moreover, according to Screen Rant, the idea of a Jon Snow spin-off has been shelved as of now. Besides, in an earlier interview with the BBC, Clarke dismissed her possibility of returning, saying, “No, I think I’m done.”

However, the Game of Thrones film might open up an alternative way for Clarke to return to the franchise. The project reportedly wants to go beyond the controversial ending of the series, which may introduce the main characters’ returns in some way. However, it has to be noted that given Clarke’s past statements, her return still looks questionable.

All seasons of Game of Thrones are available to stream on Max.