TV Article James Dashner Video Interview: Maze Runner author talks 'Scorch Trials' and meeting Dylan O'Brien for the first time And which Scorch Trials casting news 'just about exploded my brain.' By Isabella Biedenharn Published on September 24, 2015 07:41PM EDT Maze Runnerauthor James Dashner stopped by EW’s offices while he was in town for the premiere of Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, and we talked to him about every topic under the scorching sun: the inspirations for the fascinating (and terrifying) dystopia he’s created, what it was like to meet star Dylan O’Brien (who plays Thomas in the films) for the first time, and the thrill of having Breaking Bad‘s Giancarlo Esposito and Game of Thrones and The Wire‘s Aidan Gillan cast to play characters he created. Oh, you’ll also get to find out who his favorite character is, and who the fans are “psychotically obsessed with.” Check out the video below: