Kit Harington To Replace Nicholas Hoult In HBO's Harry Potter

Less than two weeks after it was announced that Nicholas Hoult would be taking on the role of Professor Gilderoy Lockhart in the second season of HBO’s Harry Potter series, the actor has departed the series over ‘scheduling issues.’

However, we already know who his replacement will be.

Game of Thrones star Kit Harington is set to take on the role of the ‘notoriously vain, boastful, and fame-obsessed wizard’—a major character who was portrayed in the second movie by Kenneth Branagh. It’s a character Harington has also already portrayed, after voicing Lockhart in the Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions released last year.

As reported by Deadline, HBO had to work around two pre-existing Hoult projects. But when filming of the Gilderoy Lockhart scenes had to shift within the production schedule for season two, that plan was no longer feasible. The Superman actor was released from his deal, and HBO reached out to Harington, who was available and excited to take over the role.

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Other core cast for the series include Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, alongside Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall.

Season two of Harry Potter was greenlit back in May and is set to begin filming this Autumn, ahead of the Christmas premiere of the first season, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. It will air on HBO and stream exclusively on HBO Max.