Kit Harington joins ‘Harry Potter’ Season 2 as Gilderoy Lockhart after Nicholas Hoult’s exit
From the audio editions to the corridors of Hogwarts, the Marauder’s Map just can’t seem to lose track of Kit Harington. The ‘Game of Thrones’ star has joined HBO’s upcoming ‘Harry Potter’ series and will play Gilderoy Lockhart in the show’s second season. Harington takes over the role after Nicholas Hoult, who exited the production because of scheduling conflicts.
HBO reportedly had to adjust the filming schedule for Lockhart’s scenes, which made it impossible to accommodate Hoult’s existing commitments. The studio then approached Harington, who was available and eager to join the project.
Interestingly, this will not be Harington’s first time playing the famously self-obsessed wizard. He previously voiced Lockhart in Audible’s ‘Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions,’ giving him an earlier opportunity to bring the character to life. Harington has also spoken about his long-standing connection to the ‘Harry Potter’ books.
The actor revealed that he was around the same age as Harry Potter when the first novel was released and remained a fan throughout his teenage years. Lockhart plays a major role in ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,’ the second book in J.K. Rowling’s series. The character arrives at Hogwarts as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, armed with a larger-than-life reputation, a collection of books, and plenty of confidence.
However, his heroic image eventually proves to be very different from reality. The character was previously played masterfully by Kenneth Branagh in the 2002 film adaptation, making Harington the latest actor to put his own spin on the flamboyant Hogwarts professor.
Season 2 of HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ series is expected to begin filming this fall. The show's first season, based on ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,’ is set to introduce a new generation of actors as the iconic characters. Dominic McLaughlin will lead the series as Harry Potter, alongside Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger.
The wider cast includes Nick Frost, John Lithgow, Paapa Essiedu, and Janet McTeer. For Harington, the casting marks his third HBO series after his eight-season run as Jon Snow in ‘Game of Thrones’ and his current role in ‘Industry’. But unlike his brooding Westeros hero, his upcoming HBO character is expected to bring plenty of charm, vanity, and chaos to Hogwarts.
