Kit Harington will star as writer and Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Gilderoy Lockhart in the second season of the upcoming Harry Potter television series, HBO and the franchise have announced.
The casting change comes just days after Nicholas Hoult was initially announced for the part. Harington replaces Hoult after scheduling conflicts forced a change ahead of filming.
The franchise confirmed the decision on Monday through an official story post on its Instagram account. According to the announcement, prior to starting the second year at Hogwarts, a small change took place due to scheduling problems, resulting in Harington taking on the role of Lockhart.
Lockhart is a central character in the second book of the series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. In the fantasy books written by J.K. Rowling, the character is a famous author who becomes a professor at the school. The story was previously adapted into a feature film in 2002, with Kenneth Branagh playing the role of the professor.
Series premiere and main cast
The first season of the new television series will premiere on HBO during Christmas 2026. The production stars Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.
Based on the books by Rowling, the story begins on the day the main character turns 11 years old. The opening mirrors the starting point of the 2001 film adaptation, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
Decade-long television adaptation
Plans call for each season of the series to be based on one of the books in the fantasy saga. HBO and the producers intend to extend the overall television production across a decade.
Rowling wrote seven Harry Potter books, which have sold more than 600 million copies worldwide. The eight original feature films grossed 6.822 billion dollars globally, according to figures from industry tracking site Box Office Mojo.
Harington is best known for portraying Jon Snow in HBO's fantasy series Game of Thrones, while Hoult has starred in numerous feature films. The upcoming series marks the first major television re-adaptation of the full book franchise.
