Game of Thrones star admits he wants the 'disappointing' final season to be remade

Game of Thrones actor Charles Dance admitted he was so disappointed by the show's ending that he would have signed the petition to get it remade if he'd known about it.

In an interview with Pop Culture, Dance, who played Tywin Lannister between series one and five, reflected on the final series.

I mean, I saw it. I continued to watch the whole series even after I'd been killed off in the lavatory. Because I thought, it's a fantastic television show, you know? I was very lucky to be part of it. I loved it. There were storylines [where] I wanted to know what was going to happen to these people! 

I know the finale satisfied a lot of people. It also disappointed a lot of people and I'm afraid I'm in the latter camp. 

Asked if he would sign the online fan petition calling to remake series eight, Dance said:

Well if there was a petition, I would sign it.

The Change.org petition entitled 'Remake Game of Thrones Season 8 with competent writers' has been signed 1.8 million times.

It reflects the widespread disappointment the show's finale was met with in April last year.

Fans were particularly perplexed by the sudden ending to Daenerys Targaryen's storyline and the decision to crown a largely unpopular character on the Iron Throne.

Whether Dance was aware of the petition's exact title is unclear, given his praise for showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss.

I think David and Dan raised the bar when it came to television screenplay writing. They are phenomenal. And for the whole thing to end up as a committee, I just thought, 'Hmm, no.' I would say I was somewhat underwhelmed.

Dance isn't the only Game of Thrones actor who has considered signing the petition.

In an interview with Variety, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau who played Jaime Lannister between series one and eight, joked that he considered donating to it.

I was aware of the petition for a new ending, which I thought was hilarious. I almost wanted to donate to that petition.

He added that he thought the ending was "fine" and that some fans were just upset the show was over.

Despite attracting almost two million signatures, the petition isn't likely to have much effect.

HBO president Casey Bloy responded to the petition while speaking at the Television Critics Association press tour last year. He said:

The petition shows a lot of enthusiasm and passion for the show, but it wasn't something we seriously considered. I can't imagine another network would.

Other Game of Thrones cast members, meanwhile, have said they find the petition insulting.

Sophie Turner, who played Samsa Stark, told The New York Times:

I think it's disrespectful to the crew, and the writers, and the filmmakers who have worked tirelessly over ten years, and for eleven months shooting the last season. 

So many people worked so, so hard on it, and for people to just rubbish it because it's not what they want to see is just disrespectful.

Isaac Hempstead Wright who played Bran Stark similarly described it as a "weird, juvenile gesture", while Jacob Anderson who played Grey Worm described it as "rude" and "sad".

While Game of Thrones fans are unlikely to see a series eight do-over any time soon, there is a prequel in the works.

The House of the Dragon is set 300 years before Game of Thrones and is on track for a 2022 release.

Let's just hope "competent writers" have been contracted to make the ten-episode series...