Kit Harington, best known for playing Jon Snow in "Game of Thrones," is joining HBO's "Harry Potter" series to play Gilderoy Lockhart in its second season, replacing Nicholas Hoult, who had already been cast in the role but withdrew because of scheduling conflicts, according to Deadline.
Lockhart's scenes had already been pushed back once to accommodate Hoult's busy schedule, but production could not be delayed any further, forcing the show to recast the part. Deadline reported that when HBO approached Harington, he turned out to be available and enthusiastically accepted the role.
Harington has voiced Lockhart before, recording the character for a star-studded "Harry Potter" audiobook released last year. He has also said he has loved the books since childhood, noting that he was the same age as Harry Potter when the first book was published. He said he read it and, like many generations, was enchanted by it, going on to become a huge fan throughout his teenage years.
Who is Gilderoy Lockhart
Lockhart is one of the central characters in the second book, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." In the original film series, the role was played by Kenneth Branagh.
When the new series will air
Filming on the second season of "Harry Potter" is set to begin this autumn. The first season, titled "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," is due to premiere in December, on Christmas Day, airing on HBO and streaming exclusively on HBO Max.
The lead role of Harry Potter will be played by Dominic McLaughlin, with Alastair Stout as his best friend, Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger.
Harington's HBO track record
The role marks Harington's third HBO series. He played Jon Snow across all eight seasons of "Game of Thrones" and currently has a recurring role in the HBO series "Industry."
