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'There’s movies, and then there’s cinema': Jason Momoa on 'Dune', TV and life in Dubai
From Dune and The Wrecking Crew to the “Momoa way” of handling things, Jason Momoa opens up during an intimate conversation in the city
- PUBLISHED: Wed 28 Jan 2026, 6:37 PM
- By:
- Husain Rizvi
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Seventy-one floors above Dubai Marina, it's easy to get captivated. More so, when you're having a conversation with one of the most-renowned names in the entertainment industry — Jason Momoa.
Inside one of the rooms at Ciel Dubai Marina — the world’s tallest hotel — he sits back in his chair, beige shades shielding his eyes, a newsboy cap pulled low. Beyond him: Dubai Harbour, the open sea, and a cinematic view. But he’s calm, cool, and casually rubbing an ice pack against his elbow.
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When I ask if he’s okay, he shrugs it off. He’s just come out of surgery, he says.
Before the interview even begins, he notices my phone screen — a large still of Leonardo DiCaprio from One Battle After Another. He says the film’s name out loud, immediately recognises it, and laughs when I show him a widget (about the film) on my iPhone. It was a brief moment which set the tone for something that wasn’t going to be a stiff, guarded celebrity chat.
So we start with chaos.
When asked about handling situations “the Momoa way,” he immediately pushes back, thoughtfully, asking for a bigger picture. “You gotta paint me a bigger picture,” he says. “Things get chaotic where? It could be in the water, on the streets, in the hotel.”
When I finally land on a chaotic on-set altercation, his answer is simply practical.
“Basically, I would assess the situation before I step into anything,” he says. “I’m not the judge and juror; I’m kind of just making sure no one hurts themselves.”
He talks about slowing things down when others panic, something he credits to growing up as a lifeguard.
“I think everything kind of slows down,” he explains. “When things like an earthquake happen, you slow down and assess the situation. Really see where your exits are.”
His priority is simple: “I would look for helping people. Make sure people aren’t getting hurt. Probably the first thing.”
For a man often cast as a superbeing and warrior, his answer was quite human. If you throw him an unexpected collaboration that comes through, he'd get excited. And, he'd get excited loudly.
“I’d be excited and I’d probably scream at who’s taller,” he laughs. “I wear my heart on my sleeve, so I wouldn’t hold it in. I’d probably be very vocal about it.”
Momoa is in Dubai for several reasons, including a live performance on January 28, his first time singing on stage in the city. He was clear about what the audience should expect.
“If the audience knows who I am, that would be on brand,” he said. “The music they think I like is probably what I’m going to play.”
And no, he wouldn't have surprised anyone.
“I’m not going to bust out classical music or start doing pop music,” he added. “I’m going to do some rock and roll and some metal.”
The joy of cinema and playing characters
When the conversation shifts to movies and TV, Momoa leans in. This is where the philosophy comes out.
“There’s movies and then there’s cinema,” he says. “Ultimately, you want to be a part of cinema.”
He explains that cinema, for him, is about story and directors, which is why Dune occupies a different space than many blockbusters.
“Dune is cinema because it’s taken sci-fi to a level that’s kind of never been done,” he says. In Denis Villeneuve's epic universe inspired by Frank Herbert's novels, Momoa plays Duncan Idaho, a skilled swordmaster loyal to the Atreides clan.
Television, meanwhile, offers something films can’t.
“You’re playing a character not just for two hours, you’re playing it for ten hours, twenty hours, or numerous seasons,” he explains. “You don’t get that depth in a movie the way you do on TV.”
Then there’s the scariest format of all: being himself.
“I have my own shows where it’s just me doing the things I love, which is actually kind of scarier,” he admits. “I’m not playing Drogo. I’m not playing Dante. I’m just being me.”
How does he decide where a character belongs?
“Unless I’m writing it myself,” he says, “it’s more about how it’s presented to you.”
He points to Apple TV's Chief of War as an example.
“It could have been a movie, but it wouldn’t have been a world as flushed out as a TV series,” he explains. “Is it better as a TV show? I think so.”
Other projects, like Minecraft or Street Fighter, were always meant to be films. “It’s not my job to flip it into a TV show.”
Brothers, not enemies
The Wrecking Crew, his new film with Dave Bautista, streaming now on Amazon Prime Video in the UAE, flips their familiar dynamic. The two starred together in Dune: Part One as sworn enemies.
“We’re good buddies,” Momoa says. “We’ve played enemies before, but he plays my brother in this.”
This time, it’s an estranged brother, and a very different experience.
“We wanted something modern, with comedy,” he says. “We’re not covered in mud and blood, freezing ourselves off.”
Dubai, its views, and the question he won’t answer
Later that night, Momoa would step behind the bar at SUSHISAMBA for a one-night-only experience. The setting matters to him. “It’s kind of an honour just to be out this far,” he says, gesturing towards the view. “I’m looking out at the biggest hotel in the world, I can’t imagine it.”
Walking into SUSHISAMBA at Palm Jumeirah left an impression, too. “That was one of the most epic views I’ve ever seen,” he says.
But is he overwhelmed by Dubai’s endless spectacle?
“It can get pretty wild,” he admits. “But one of my favourite things in any city is people and nature.”
Ask him what he really wants to do here, and the answers are simple. “I want to skydive, but I’d get in a lot of trouble right now,” he laughs. And more than anything: “I’d love to be on a boat… see it from the sea.” He loves getting on the water. Maybe, he really is the King of Atlantis.
When cigars come up, Momoa, known for his admiration toward stogies, draws a line.
“I don’t want to encourage anyone to smoke,” he says. “That’s my own thing. I just enjoy it the way that I do.”
But ask who he’d share one with, he doesn’t hesitate.
“Tom Waits,” he says. “If he did still smoke, I’d share a cigar with Tom Waits.”
