Sansa and Arya are going to have a very different relationship in the final season of Game of Thrones, according to Maisie Williams.

There are just a few weeks to go until season eight of the HBO epic kicks off, and the exact details of what's going to happen are probably one of the most well kept secrets in Westeros. Although Williams, who has played Arya Stark since the series began in 2011, did have a fairly brutal warning for fans. “There’s a lot of death this year,” she told Entertainment Weekly.  And while that's not surprising (like, would you expect anything less after the way season seven ended?), it's not exactly an incredibly positive tidbit of information. The actress also elaborated on the relationship her character will have this season with her on-screen sibling Sansa, played by Sophie Turner. The Stark sisters have never been super close. In season one, they were often seen (or heard) squabbling - before they were actually separated following the death of their father, Ned. . But now that both of them are back at Winterfell, Williams said that things are going to be different this time around.

She continued: “It’s not often you see a character siding with Sansa who’s not manipulating her, “Last season it was really tough for Sansa because Jon was thinking with his penis and it kind of made Sansa look bitter. "This season you see Arya teaming with Sansa and sometimes calling out Jon. It felt nice and powerful to stand next to Sophie. "Sophie and I are the tightest of friends when sitting across from anyone, so no acting required.”

The news comes shortly after the length of very episodes in Game of Thrones' final season were announced. According to the run times, which you can find here, the average episode length for season eight will be around 72 minutes. Either way, though, Game of Thrones fans in Ireland will have to wait until the following day to be able to catch up on what's happening in the world of Westeros. The episodes will be broadcast on Sunday's at 9pm EST in the United States and Canada, or 9pm on Mondays on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV in Ireland and the UK. Unless you're willing to stay up into the early hours of Monday morning, as season 8 will be simulcast. A spokesperson for Sky has confirmed that Game of Thrones' final season will be airing at the same time as it is broadcast on HBO in North America. Yes, this means that it will all be beginning very early in the morning. The live simulcast of the first episode will kick off at 2am on April 15, if we're being exact. If you're not up for staying up super late/getting up super early, the episode will also be airing on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV at 9pm that evening. Either way, April 15 can't get here quick enough.

• Game of Thrones returns to Sky Atlantic and NOW TV on April 15.