This casting change isn't entirely out of the blue—Kit Harington already voiced Gilderoy Lockhart back in December for Audible's full-cast audiobook of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." Now, HBO's live-action series is bringing him aboard directly, replacing Nicholas Hoult, who had only been announced for the role earlier this month before dropping out due to scheduling issues.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Hoult's departure was due to conflicting shooting schedules with two other projects. Lockhart is the narcissistic, boastful wizard from "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" who takes over as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts in the second book—played by Kenneth Branagh in the 2002 film adaptation. Speaking to Variety about taking on the audiobook role, Harington said, "It was a very easy 'yes,' because I love the character, no question about it."
Worth noting: Hoult previously faced some fan backlash when he first took on the role, stemming from author J.K. Rowling's controversial stance on transgender issues—Rowling is also an executive producer on the series. One fan bluntly stated, "My goodwill toward him has completely evaporated."
Other cast members have publicly distanced themselves from Rowling's stance. Bel Powley, who plays Aunt Petunia, said she "strongly disagrees" with Rowling's views on the issue, adding that "the trans community deserves safety, dignity, respect, and full acceptance." John Lithgow, who plays Dumbledore, revealed he once considered leaving the production but ultimately decided to stay, calling Rowling's position "ironic and hard to understand," while noting that the original novels are "clearly on the side of fighting bigotry and discrimination." Nick Frost, who plays Hagrid, said his views "don't align with Rowling's at all," and Paapa Essiedu, who plays Snape, signed an open letter calling on the UK entertainment industry to protect transgender rights.
Season 1 of the HBO series is set to premiere on HBO Max this Christmas, with Season 2 expected to begin filming this fall—when Harington's Lockhart will make his debut.
