August 25, 2026, 4:41 pm | Read time: 2 minutes
From the north of Westeros, we head straight to the world’s most famous wizarding school. In the new “Harry Potter” series, Kit Harington takes on a role he’s already quite familiar with.
Kit Harington, known as Jon Snow from “Game of Thrones,” joins the new “Harry Potter” series. In the second season, the actor takes on the role of Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. The wizard presents himself as a celebrated hero and successful adventurer, but much of his alleged deeds are entirely fabricated.
For Harington, this role marks a significant change. Instead of wielding a sword through Westeros, he will now be waving a wand as a vain and self-absorbed wizard teacher in front of the camera. The character is one of the central figures in the story “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” on which the second season of the series is based.
Nicholas Hoult exits due to scheduling conflicts
Originally, Nicholas Hoult was set to play the role of Gilderoy Lockhart. The “Superman” actor had already been confirmed for the series but had to leave the project due to scheduling conflicts. As reported by the industry magazine “Variety,” Harington is now stepping in for him.
However, the role is not entirely new for the actor. At the end of 2025, Harington had already voiced Gilderoy Lockhart for the official “Harry Potter” audiobooks. Thus, he not only knows the character from the novels but has also lent his voice to it.
The new Harry Potter cast is set
Harington also has a personal connection to the wizarding world. In relation to the audiobooks, he explained that he loved the “Harry Potter” books as a child and read them multiple times. Now, the self-proclaimed fan can become part of the new series adaptation. Filming for the second season is set to begin in the fall.
The series will initially start with “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” Dominic McLaughlin plays Harry, Arabella Stanton takes on the role of Hermione, and Alastair Stout portrays Ron. The first season is set to premiere on December 25, 2026, on HBO Max.