Kit Harington is headed from Westeros to Hogwarts.
The Game of Thrones star has been cast as Gilderoy Lockhart in Season 2 of HBO’s Harry Potter series, replacing Nicholas Hoult just weeks after Hoult was originally announced for the role.
Hoult has exited the series because of scheduling conflicts, while Harington will now step into the flamboyant Defense Against the Dark Arts professor’s robes when the series reaches Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
And there’s an interesting twist to the casting: Harington has already played Gilderoy Lockhart.
Kit Harington Replaces Nicholas Hoult as Gilderoy Lockhart
HBO’s Harry Potter series announced the casting change on August 24, confirming that Harington will replace Hoult as Lockhart for Season 2.
Hoult had only recently been announced for the role, but scheduling changes created conflicts with his existing commitments and he was released from the project.
That opened the door for Harington, who already has a long history with HBO after starring as Jon Snow throughout all eight seasons of Game of Thrones and later appearing as Henry Muck in Industry.
Now he’ll be returning to the network in one of the most memorable roles from Harry Potter’s second year at Hogwarts.
Kit Harington Has Already Played Gilderoy Lockhart
Harington’s casting isn’t quite as unexpected as it initially sounds.
The actor previously voiced Gilderoy Lockhart in the full-cast audio edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, released in 2025.
That means HBO isn’t simply bringing a major Game of Thrones star into the Harry Potter universe — it’s giving Harington the live-action version of a character he’s already performed.
Lockhart is the celebrity author who arrives at Hogwarts as the school’s new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor during Harry’s second year.
Charming, handsome and enormously impressed with himself, Lockhart has built his reputation around a collection of supposedly heroic adventures.
Students — particularly Hermione — initially find him impressive.
Reality eventually proves considerably less flattering.
The actor previously voiced Gilderoy Lockhart in the full-cast audio edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, released in 2025. Audible lists Harington as Lockhart in the full cast.
Who Played Gilderoy Lockhart in the Harry Potter Movies?
Kenneth Branagh memorably played Gilderoy Lockhart in the 2002 movie Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Branagh leaned heavily into the character’s vanity and theatricality, making Lockhart one of the movie’s biggest comic personalities.
Harington will now have the opportunity to create his own version of the character across HBO’s more expansive television adaptation.
Because each season has considerably more storytelling time than the original films, the series should also have room to explore more of Lockhart’s material from the book.
Why Did Nicholas Hoult Leave Harry Potter?
Nicholas Hoult left the Gilderoy Lockhart role because of scheduling conflicts.
Hoult had been announced as Lockhart earlier in August, but changes to the Harry Potter production schedule ultimately created conflicts with projects to which the actor was already committed.
Hoult currently plays Lex Luthor in DC Studios’ Superman franchise and is expected to reprise the role in the upcoming sequel Man of Tomorrow.
Rather than delaying the character or attempting to work around the conflict, the production has moved quickly to Harington.
When Will Kit Harington Appear in Harry Potter?
Harington will make his debut as Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter Season 2.
The first season adapts Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, while Season 2 moves into Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, where Lockhart becomes Harry’s new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
Season 2 is expected to begin production this fall.
That means HBO is moving forward with its second year at Hogwarts before audiences have even seen the first.
When Does HBO’s Harry Potter Series Premiere?
Harry Potter Season 1 premieres December 25, 2026 on HBO and HBO Max.
Dominic McLaughlin stars as Harry Potter alongside Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.
The expanding cast also includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall and Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy.
No premiere date has been announced for Season 2. Entertainment Weekly confirmed Harington’s casting on August 24.
But when Harry returns for his second year at Hogwarts, he’ll find a familiar HBO face waiting at the front of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
Kit Harington is officially Gilderoy Lockhart.
