SAN DIEGO, United States — The "Game of Thrones" cast leapt to the defense of its much-maligned final season in front of a boisterous crowd at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, blaming the backlash on negative media coverage. An online petition to HBO to remake the final season with "competent writers" was signed by 1.6 million people. But showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss quietly withdrew along with two cast members earlier in the week. The remaining members expressed support for the final season, although Conleth Hill -- who played Varys -- joked: "I don't regret starting the petition." The atmosphere quickly lightened as cast members joked about stealing props from the set.

Source: Philippine Star July 20, 2019 03:00 UTC