Nicholas Hoult exits Harry Potter series as Game of Thrones star replaces him

Game of Thrones star Kit Harington has replaced Nicholas Hoult as Gilderoy Lockhart in HBO’s Harry Potter series.

Kit Harington has replaced Nicholas Hoult in the Harry Potter series.

The Game of Thrones actor will portray Gilderoy Lockhart – the role previously played by Kenneth Branagh in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the 2002 movie adaptation of JK Rowling’s boy wizard books – in the HBO fantasy series’ second season.

A post on Harry Potter’s official Instagram page read: “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.”

According to Deadline, Hoult departed the role over “scheduling issues”.

Harington is no stranger to portraying Lockhart, after he lent his voice to the part in Audible’s Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions, which dropped last year.

Speaking previously about being cast in the audio production, Kit said of the famous book series: “I read it, and like so many generations, I was entranced, and then I was a huge fan all through my teenage years.

“I think there’s a little bit of Gilderoy in all of us.”

He also told Variety about the audio role: “It was a really simple yes, because I love the character.

“As far as cameos in a series go, you don’t get much more entertaining and fun to do as an actor than Gilderoy Lockhart. It was a no-brainer.”

News of Hoult’s departure comes just days after it was revealed he had signed up to play Lockhart in the HBO series.

However, his casting was met with a backlash from a section of his fans.

One of his supporter-led accounts posted on X: “Pausing any posts on this account for the time being. Nicholas Hoult do better, so many of your fans are hurt.”

Another of Nicholas’ fans wrote: “Incredibly disappointed. Used to be one of my favourite actors but oh well!”

One Hoult super-fan added: “I’m going to just log off indefinitely for now. I really have no idea what I’m going to do. I genuinely have no idea.”

The second Harry Potter series is expected to start filming later this year – before the first season of the HBO Max show has even aired this Christmas.

The pilot of the small screen adaptation, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, will see Dominic McLaughlin play Harry, with Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton will portray Hermione Granger.