Kit Harington Is Officially the New Gilderoy Lockhart in HBO’s ‘Harry Potter,’ Replacing Nicholas Hoult

HBO’s ‘Harry Potter‘ series has been one of the most closely watched productions in television, with every casting reveal treated like a national event by fans who grew up with the books. From Dominic McLaughlin’s Harry to John Lithgow’s Dumbledore, the show has leaned into stunt casting that blends fresh faces with seasoned prestige actors.

That scrutiny only intensifies once a role changes hands, and Season 2 has already delivered its second major recasting before a single frame of the sophomore season has been shot. The show is adapting ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,’ a book built around one particularly vain, scene-stealing character who was always going to draw outsized attention.

That character is Gilderoy Lockhart, and the actor playing him has officially changed. Deadline exclusively reported that Kit Harington has been cast as the fraudulent Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, stepping in after Nicholas Hoult exited the role due to scheduling conflicts.

Hoult had only been announced for the part on August 11, making this recasting come together in just under two weeks. According to the reporting, HBO originally built its plans around two other Hoult projects, but once Lockhart’s filming dates shifted within the Season 2 production schedule, the workaround fell apart and the studio let him out of his deal.

Hoult’s calendar isn’t exactly a mystery to anyone following his career right now. He’s currently filming ‘Man of Tomorrow,’ James Gunn’s Superman follow-up in which he reprises Lex Luthor, and he also has ‘How to Rob a Bank’ hitting theaters in November, leaving little room to fit in a demanding new television role.

Harington’s casting isn’t coming out of nowhere, either. He’s already spent time inside Lockhart’s head, having voiced the character for Audible’s full-cast ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ audiobook, which was released late last year.

Speaking about that earlier decision to voice the role, Harington said it was a really simple yes because he loves the character, adding that few cameos in a series are as entertaining or fun for an actor to play as Gilderoy Lockhart, calling it a no-brainer, according to comments he made to Variety. He also described himself as a self-proclaimed ‘Harry Potter’ nerd who fell in love with the books as a kid and has reread them many times since.

The role itself comes with plenty of built-in mischief. Lockhart is introduced in ‘Chamber of Secrets’ as a celebrated wizard and author renowned for his supposed heroic exploits, only to be revealed as a fraud who stole credit for others’ achievements and erased their memories to cover his tracks. Kenneth Branagh originated the film version of the character back in 2002’s ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.’

This isn’t Harington’s first rodeo at HBO, either. Beyond his eight seasons leading ‘Game of Thrones’ as Jon Snow, he starred in the miniseries ‘Gunpowder’ and has been part of the network’s ‘Industry’ cast in recent seasons, making ‘Harry Potter’ his third major series for the network.

Season 2 is expected to begin filming this fall, continuing the story after Season 1, officially titled ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,’ premieres on HBO and HBO Max on December 25. The show’s ensemble already includes Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Snape, and Nick Frost as Hagrid.

With one major recast already behind them before Season 2 even starts filming, fans will be watching closely to see whether Harington’s take on Lockhart lives up to the hype, or whether the swap sparks its own wave of debate once cameras start rolling.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!