Kit Harington is set to join HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ series in Season 2 as Gilderoy Lockhart, replacing Nicholas Hoult in the role, HBO Max has confirmed on its official social media handle.
The recasting comes after scheduling conflicts made it impossible for Hoult to continue with the production, as per Deadline.
In an Instagram post, HBO Max wrote, “Before we begin year two at Hogwarts, there has been a slight change due to scheduling: Kit Harington will now be stepping into the role of Gilderoy Lockhart.”
Hoult, who was originally cast as Lockhart, had two pre-existing projects that HBO had to work around. When filming Lockhart’s scenes shifted within the Season 2 production schedule, accommodating those commitments was no longer feasible, leading to the Superman actor’s departure from the role.
Harington was subsequently approached by HBO. Available to take on the part, the actor also had a connection to the character; he previously voiced Gilderoy Lockhart in ‘Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions’, which were released late last year.
In a featurette released by Audible around the audio editions, Harington spoke about his long-standing affection for JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books. The actor recalled that he was the same age as Harry when the first novel was published.
“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. (ANI)
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