A casting swap has occurred for Season 2 of HBO’s Harry Potter, with Nicholas Hoult stepping down as Gilderoy Lockhart and Kit Harington taking his place.
The news, as reported by Deadline, suggests that a shift in the production schedule meant Hoult could no longer fulfil the role.
Hoult’s other projects seem to be getting in the way, with the Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow among them.
Harington, meanwhile, is returning to the role of Lockhart, having lent his vocal talents to the character for Audible’s 2025 audiobook productions of the Harry Potter series.
At the time of his audio casting, the Game of Thrones star said, “I read [Harry Potter], and like so many generations, I was entranced, and then I was a huge fan all through my teenage years.”
Speaking on Lockhart specifically, Harington added, “I think there’s a little bit of Gilderoy in all of us.”
Who is Gilderoy Lockhart?
Lockhart, who was portrayed by the legendary Sir Kenneth Branagh in the 2002 film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, is a major character in this particular story.
A wise-cracking, heartthrob charmer, Lockhart hoodwinks the wizarding world into thinking he’s a heroic magician capable of extraordinary feats.
This lands him the role of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, where he’s eventually found out to be a fraud.
Production on Season 2 of HBO’s Harry Potter series is expected to occur this autumn, ahead of the Season 1 debut on Christmas Day.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone will see a new cast take on the famed novels, with Dominic McLaughlin as Harry, Alastair Stout playing Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton starring as Hermione Granger.
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