‘Game of Thrones’ To Be Simulcast At 2am In United Kingdom

Game of Thrones fans in the United Kingdom who frequently find themselves frustrated by the usual delay of broadcast for HBO’s series, which begins its fourth season on April 6, will have the option to watch the season premiere at the same time as the United States.

The Independent says that Sky Atlantic will be airing Episode 1 of Game of Thrones at 2am on the morning of April 7, 2014, which is the same time it will air on the east coast in the United States. The episode, which is titled ‘Two Swords,’ is the only episode of the season directed by show writer D.B. Weiss.

Press for the show is in full force, with multiple trailers, behind the scenes featurettes, and interviews being released to build anticipation for the Game of Thrones premiere. In one, actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster admitted that it would be fun to play sadistic character King Joffrey, “I think Joffrey would be quite fun, a nasty, nasty person. I like the way he’s young and a teenage t**t in power.”

Fellow young actor Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who plays Bran Stark, says Game of Thrones is every kids dream, telling the Irish Times about “jumping across ancient battlements in Northern Ireland, then taking selfies with [severed] heads.”

The cast in attendance had plenty to say about the diehard fans of both the Game of Thrones show and the Song of Ice and Fire books by George R. R. Martin. Aidan Gillen, who plays Littlefinger, says that most fans just a photo with him, with one exception, “Someone did place a curse on me in Poland in a lift.” Actress Sibel Kekilli (Shae) had an unpleasant interaction with one American fan in Istanbul, who bluntly informed her, “I don’t know your real name, and I’m not interested, but you’re Shae, right?”

Meanwhile, actress Carice van Houten plays the mysterious red priestess Melisandre and says she finds it strange that fans know more about her character than she does. She struggled to find the right word, going through “nerds” and “geeks” before deciding that simply “fans” was the most appropriate.

Rory McCann (Sandor Clegane, a.k.a. The Hound) has a more hilarious description of interaction with Thrones fans. “In a bar if I’m getting pissed, and people creep up and say, ‘Is that the Hound?’ I just say, ‘F**k off.’ Then they say, ‘The Hound just told me to f**k off.'”

With eight short days before the premiere, are you ready for the Game of Thrones bloodbath to resume? If you live in the UK, will you be staying up until 3 am to watch the season opener?

[Image via Hollywood Reporter]