Kit Harington will step into the role of Gilderoy Lockhart in HBO's "Harry Potter" series, replacing Nicholas Hoult, who has exited the production over scheduling conflicts, according to reports from Variety and Slashfilm. The change affects the show's second season, which adapts "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" and is set to begin filming this fall.
Hoult, who was announced for the role of the vain celebrity wizard just two weeks earlier, was released from his commitment after production scheduling made it impossible to fit his Lockhart scenes around other projects, including his role as Lex Luthor in James Gunn's upcoming "Man of Tomorrow." Harington, best known for playing Jon Snow in "Game of Thrones," had already voiced Lockhart in Audible's full-cast "Harry Potter" audiobooks released last year, giving him a head start with the character.
A closely watched adaptation
Lockhart, the preening but incompetent Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who arrives at Hogwarts in the second book, was played by Kenneth Branagh in the original film series. HBO's take is part of a decade-long, season-by-season adaptation of the seven Harry Potter novels, with author J.K. Rowling serving as an executive producer. The series, which stars Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, is scheduled to premiere on Christmas Day.
Casting on the sprawling show has drawn heavy attention since it was first announced, both for who is stepping into roles indelibly associated with the earlier film franchise and for the broader controversy surrounding Rowling's public statements on transgender issues, which has shadowed press coverage of the series throughout its development. Hoult's abrupt exit, coming so soon after his casting was announced, adds another layer of scrutiny to a production already under close watch from fans weighing every choice against Warner Bros.' original films.
For Harington, the part marks a return to a high-profile fantasy franchise years after "Game of Thrones" ended, and a first major HBO role since that series concluded in 2019. His experience playing Lockhart for the audiobook release gave producers a ready alternative once Hoult's schedule fell apart, avoiding a longer search for a replacement so close to the start of filming. Production on season two begins this fall, with the network yet to say when the new season will reach viewers.
