Sky have confirmed that they will premiere the eagerly anticipated second season of Game of Thrones in the UK just a day after the States on Sky Atlantic HD Monday 2 April at 9pm.

Press release follows:

Sky Atlantic HD today announces that the ten-episode second season of the highly anticipated HBO fantasy saga GAME OF THRONES will return to the channel on Monday 2 April at 9pm, less than 24 hours after it returns in the US. Based on George R.R. Martin’s best-selling book series A Song of Ice and Fire, the Golden Globe® and Emmy®-winning drama chronicles an epic struggle for power in a vast and violent fantasy kingdom.

Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, GAME OF THRONES redefined the fantasy genre when it launched back in April 2011, garnering much critical acclaim and a total of 13 Primetime Emmy® nominations. Season one remained true to the harsh and brutal world created by Martin – a man who’s never been afraid to swing the sword in the direction of his major characters – and a good number of key players lost their lives in some of the series’ most shocking and memorable scenes. However, a wealth of acting talent, including Rose Leslie (Downton Abbey), Hannah Murray (Skins), Natalie Dormer (The Tudors), Carice van Houten (Valkyrie), Liam Cunningham (Clash of the Titans), Michael McElhatton (Fifty Dead Men Walking), Stephen Dillane (The Shooting of Thomas Hurndall) and Tom Wlaschiha (Enemy at the Gates), are set to join t he show in season two.

The new cast members bolster an already impressive cast that features returning stars Emilia Clarke, Alfie Allen, Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Aidan Gillen, Kit Harington and Peter Dinklage, who won an Emmy® and a Golden Globe® for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister.

After the revelations at the end of season one, which hinted at the dangers lying beyond the great wall, it’s set to be a season of exploration, danger and death this time round. The cold winds are rising across Westeros, as the bloody battle for the Iron Throne continues…

GAME OF THRONES returns on Monday 2 April at 9pm exclusively to Sky Atlantic HD.