Kit Harington replaces Nicholas Hoult as Gilderoy Lockhart
Nicholas Hoult has withdrawn from his role as Gilderoy Lockhart in HBO's second series of its Harry Potter remake, less than a fortnight after his casting was announced, following an intense backlash from anti-JK Rowling activists. Hoult cited "scheduling issues" for his exit, though the timing coincided with criticism from campaigners who label Rowling transphobic and have called for boycotts of adaptations of her work; Rowling serves as an executive producer on the HBO series. Kit Harington, best known for Game of Thrones, has now been cast in the role instead.
Lockhart, a vain, memory-wiping professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts, was originally played by Kenneth Branagh in the 2002 film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which grossed more than $883 million worldwide. Harington previously voiced the character for Audible's Harry Potter audiobooks and described taking the role as "a no-brainer". Filming for the new series' second season is due to begin this autumn, with the first season set to launch on HBO and HBO Max on Christmas Day, starring Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger.
- Nicholas Hoult exits HBO's Harry Potter reboot after online backlash
- Kit Harington replaces him as Professor Gilderoy Lockhart
- HBO's first Harry Potter season premieres on Christmas Day
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Hoult had been announced as Gilderoy Lockhart, the flamboyant, memory-erasing professor from Chamber of Secrets, for the second season of HBO's Harry Potter television remake. Barely two weeks after that casting news broke, he stepped away from the part, saying it was down to "scheduling issues". The exit came amid vocal criticism from activists opposed to author JK Rowling, who remains an executive producer on the series and has faced sustained criticism over her views on gender and trans rights.
Kit Harington, known for playing Jon Snow in Game of Thrones, has now been announced as Hoult's replacement. Harington has a previous connection to the role, having voiced Lockhart in Audible's Harry Potter audiobooks.
The wider HBO series is a new television adaptation of the Harry Potter books, distinct from the original film franchise, with young actors Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton playing Harry, Ron and Hermione. Its first season is due to premiere on HBO and HBO Max on Christmas Day, and filming on the second season is expected to begin this autumn.