'Terminator: Genesis' casts 'Game of Thrones' star Emilia Clarke as Sarah Connor

Earlier this year, there were two actresses in contention for the coveted role of the next Sarah Connor in the upcoming Terminator: Genesis. Rising star Brie Larson was up against Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke and it looks like Clarke was the one to come out on top in this situation! Clarke is the next Sarah Connor and is working with director Alan Taylor again who has worked on her HBO series in the past.

Deadline reports:

This was a hotly contested role and it came down to Clarke and Brie Larson. Both actresses tested for the producers at David Ellison's Skydance and Megan Ellison's Annapurna, and Paramount, which will release the film in July 2015. Clarke's breakout role came in Thrones, where she plays the dragon-commanding heroine Daenerys Targaryen in that massive HBO series, and is probably the most sympathetic of all vying to rule.

Clarke joins a other actresses who have portrayed Sarah Connor including Linda Milton and (her Game of Thrones costar) Lena Headey.

Clarke joins Jason Clarke, who is in negotiations to play Connor's son John. Past actors in this role include Christian Bale, Edward Furlong, Nick Stahl, and Thomas Dekker. Clarke's John Connor will be older than his mother in this story thanks to time-travelling tactics.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is also rumored to be reprising his Terminator role, but exactly how he'd be utilized has yet to be announced.

What do you think of this casting news? Are you excited to see Clarke take on this iconic role in the new Terminator  film?