Kit Harington, best known for playing Jon Snow in Game of Thrones, has been cast as Gilderoy Lockhart in HBO's upcoming Harry Potter series. The announcement is notable because Harington is not new to the role. When the Harry Potter books were recently recorded for Audible with a full cast, Harington played Lockhart in that production as well, according to Screen Rant.
In the original film series, Lockhart was played by Kenneth Branagh. The HBO series is retelling the entire story with a new cast and a much longer format, with each season covering one year of Harry Potter's time at Hogwarts. Season one will consist of at least eight episodes.
Harington spoke about the casting in a recent interview with Collider. "I'm a huge Potter fan. I've got to be honest, he's one of my favourite characters, so, to be offered to play him is a real dream. I've had a taste of him [in the audiobook] and felt my way around him. He's just a wonderful creation."
Harington was not the first actor announced for the role. Nicholas Hoult had previously been cast as Lockhart but had a scheduling conflict that opened the door for the recasting. Hoult has built a prominent career across major franchise films including X-Men: First Class, Mad Max: Fury Road, and the recent Superman, as well as critically praised work in films like Juror #2, The Menu, and Nosferatu.
The Harry Potter series originally ran as eight films from 2001 to 2011, adapting the seven-book series by J.K. Rowling. The HBO version represents the first time the full story has been adapted for television.
