Kit Harington is set to join HBO’s television adaptation of the Harry Potter books, taking over the role of Gilderoy Lockhart from Nicholas Hoult, who left the production because of scheduling conflicts. HBO confirmed the change in a statement, saying the switch came as preparations began for the second season based on The Chamber of Secrets. Harington, best known for playing Jon Snow in Game of Thrones and for his recent turn in the BBC/HBO drama Industry, had voiced Lockhart in an Audible adaptation of the book.
The character Lockhart is a vain, largely incompetent Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher whose reputation rests on tales of heroic deeds that are later revealed to be fabricated. Kenneth Branagh played the role in the 2002 film adaptation. Speaking to Collider, Harington said he had long been an open fan of the Potter books and considered Lockhart one of his favourite characters, adding that the audiobook work had given him a taste of the part and left him eager to explore it further on screen.
Harington will appear in a season based on Rowling’s second novel, following a first season adapting Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, which is scheduled to premiere on 25 December. Production on the second season is expected to begin this autumn. The cast includes Dominic McLaughlin as Harry, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, alongside John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, and Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape.
There have also been other casting changes: Gracie Cochrane, who played Ginny Weasley in the first season, is leaving the series and will be replaced for season two. Hoult had faced criticism from some quarters for joining the production because of objections to author JK Rowling’s views on gender identity and transgender rights. Representatives for Harington and Hoult did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The HBO series is planned as a long-running retelling of all seven Potter novels, with producers reportedly expecting the project to span about ten years.