Kit Harington has been cast as Gilderoy Lockhart in the second season of HBO’s Harry Potter series, stepping in after Nicholas Hoult’s departure from the role.
Mr Hoult, whose casting was announced just a fortnight ago, has exited the production owing to scheduling conflicts.
HBO had initially attempted to accommodate two pre-existing commitments on Mr Hoult’s slate, but when filming dates for his Lockhart scenes were rearranged within the season two production schedule, the arrangement became unworkable.
The Superman star, who is currently shooting the DC sequel Man of Tomorrow, was subsequently released from his contract.
Nicholas Hoult was originally cast as Gilderoy Lockhart in the Harry Potter TV series
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GETTYHBO moved swiftly to secure a replacement, approaching Mr Harington, who was both available and eager to take on the part, Deadline reports.
The recasting comes amid a strong backlash faced by Mr Hoult when he took on the role, with trans activists and fans who object to any involvement with a franchise so closely tied to JK Rowling making their thoughts known.
Though technically a recasting, Mr Harington is no stranger to the character. He voiced Lockhart in the star-studded Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions, which Audible released late last year.
In a featurette accompanying that release, the actor spoke warmly about his long relationship with Ms Rowling’s wizarding world.
Kit Harington is no stranger to the character. He voiced Lockhart in the star-studded Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Edition
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“I read it, and like so many generations, I was entranced, and then I was a huge fan all through my teenage years,” he said, noting that he was the same age as Harry when the first novel was published.
Mr Harington also revealed an affinity for the flamboyant character himself.
“I think there’s a little bit of Gilderoy Lockhart in all of us,” he remarked in the same featurette.
The transition from voice performance to live-action portrayal gives Mr Harington a unique familiarity with Lockhart’s mannerisms and personality ahead of filming.
Nicholas Hoult faced backlash for taking on the Harry Potter role
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Lockhart is a pivotal figure in the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
The character is a vain, self-aggrandising wizard celebrated for supposed heroic exploits who is appointed Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts.
He is a five-time recipient of Witch Weekly’s Most Charming Smile Award, and the character was memorably brought to life on screen by Kenneth Branagh in the 2002 film adaptation.
It soon becomes apparent that Lockhart’s reputation far exceeds his actual abilities, with his true talent lying in Memory Charms rather than confronting dark creatures.
HBO Harry Potter cast: Dominic McLaughlin (middle), Arabella Stanton (left), and Alastair Stout (right) will play the three leads in the new series
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HBOHBO greenlit the second season back in May, with production set to commence this autumn.
The first season, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, is due to premiere over the Christmas period, airing on HBO and streaming exclusively on HBO Max.
Dominic McLaughlin leads the series as the young wizard Harry Potter, alongside Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger.
Nick Frost, John Lithgow, Paapa Essiedu and Janet McTeer are among the principal cast returning as Hagrid, Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall respectively.
Francesca Gardiner serves as showrunner and executive producer, with Jon Brown elevated to co-showrunner for the second season.
Mark Mylod executive produces and directed several episodes of the first series, with J.K. Rowling and David Heyman of Heyday Films also among the executive producers.
For Mr Harington, this marks a third HBO series. Beyond his iconic eight-season run as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones, the actor currently holds a series regular role on the network’s financial drama Industry.