Kit Harington will play Gilderoy Lockhart in the new HBO series set in the wizarding world, replacing Nicholas Hoult.
The Game of Thrones actor will be the infamous DADA (Defence Against the Dark Arts) professor in the second season. The second season will be based on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second book in the series by JK Rowling.
Hoult, who was originally cast as Lockhart, had to leave the show. It was mainly because of scheduling conflicts.
Hoult had other projects lined up whose shoots were coming in on the exact same days as Harry Potter.
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This will not be the first time Harrington plays Lockhart. He previously played Lockhart in Audible’s Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions. They were released last year.
Now he will be playing the role in the live-action HBO series.
In the audiobook featurette, Harington stated that he felt there was a bit of Gilderoy in everyone.
He also said that Lockhart was an “attention-seeker” and that the main part of being the character was to come in and have fun.
Lockhart is one of the more distinctive characters in Chamber of Secrets, who is notable for his overconfidence, fame and claims of authorship.
The character has been played by Kenneth Branagh in the 2002 adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
HBO’s eight-episode season premiere of Harry Potter is scheduled for Christmas Day, and the second season is expected to start production this fall.
Casting in the soon-to-be-released TV adaptation brings another high-profile name to the list, as Harington joins it.
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