Kit Harington joins HBO's Harry Potter series as Gilderoy Lockhart
The role marks Harington's third collaboration with HBO, after starring in the tentpole Game of Thrones and financial drama The Industry.
Kit Harington is set to join HBO's "Harry Potter" series, taking on the role of Gilderoy Lockhart, the wizarding world's renowned author and Hogwarts professor. HBO confirmed this casting to the BBC.
Harington will be stepping in for Nicholas Hoult, who was unable to continue with season two of the series due to a scheduling conflict. Harington is widely recognized for his portrayal of Jon Snow over eight seasons in the acclaimed series "Game of Thrones," and he also features in the BBC and HBO financial drama "The Industry." This marks the English actor's third collaboration with the American network and streamer.
"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" is slated to debut this Christmas on HBO Max. The second season will adapt J.K. Rowling's second book in the series, "The Chamber of Secrets," which details Potter's second year at the magical school.
An official announcement on the Harry Potter Instagram account stated, "Before we begin year two at Hogwarts, there has been a slight change due to schedule: Kit Harington will be stepping into the role of Gilderoy Lockhart."
The new series adaptation of the best-selling books features newcomer Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. Oscar-nominated actor Jon Lithgow has been cast as Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, and Nick Frost as gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid.
Harington, an Emmy-award winner and a lifelong fan of the books, has prior experience with the character, having voiced Lockhart in Audible's "Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions" last year. His involvement could lead to a reunion with director and producer Mark Mylod, who worked on "Game of Thrones" and is directing several "Harry Potter" episodes. Mylod is an executive producer on the new series alongside author J.K. Rowling.
In the Warner Bros. "Harry Potter" films, Lockhart was played by Kenneth Branagh. Lockhart is a pivotal character in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," the second book in Rowling's best-selling franchise. The self-absorbed wizard, who has penned numerous books about his supposed encounters with dark creatures, becomes Hogwarts' new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and sees himself as a mentor to Harry during his second year.
Hoult, known for his roles in "X-Men," "Superman," and "Mad Max: Fury Road," was initially announced for the role earlier this month. However, HBO reportedly had to release the actor from his commitment due to conflicts with other projects and a change in the series' production schedule, as first reported by Deadline and confirmed by HBO to the BBC.
Representatives for Harington and Hoult did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The HBO series is projected to span 10 years, with producers planning multiple seasons to cover each of Rowling's seven books, which were the basis for the eight blockbuster films.