Kit Harington Joins HBO's Harry Potter Series as Gilderoy Lockhart
BBC News reports that Kit Harington has been cast in HBO's highly anticipated Harry Potter series, playing the role of celebrity-turned-Hogwarts instructor Gilderoy Lockhart.
Harington, best known for his eight-season stint as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones, replaces actor Nicholas Hoult, who dropped out of season two due to scheduling conflicts. This marks Harington's third collaboration with HBO and HBO Max, after Game of Thrones and The Industry.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is set to premiere on Christmas this year on HBO Max, adapting the first book in J.K. Rowling's series. Season two will explore the second book, The Chamber of Secrets, chronicling Harry's second year at Hogwarts.
"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." - Official Harry Potter Instagram account
The cast also includes:
- Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter
- Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley
- Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger
- Jon Lithgow as Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore
- Nick Frost as gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid
Harington, a lifelong fan of the books, already has experience playing Lockhart, voicing the character in Audible's star-studded Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions. The show may also reunite him with director and producer Mark Mylod, who worked on Game of Thrones and is directing some Harry Potter episodes.
Lockhart, a vain wizard known for his books on purported encounters with dark creatures, serves as Hogwarts' professor for the Defense Against the Dark Arts in The Chamber of Secrets.