Kit Harington replaces Nicholas Hoult as Gilderoy Lockhart in HBO's Harry Potter series - BBC News

Hoult was announced as Gilderoy Lockhart two weeks ago but has dropped out due to scheduling issues.

Image source, Variety via Getty ImagesImage caption, Kit Harington's casting marks his third role in a HBO series after Game of Thrones and the financial drama Industry

Kit Harington is joining the highly anticipated Harry Potter TV series as the wizarding world's celebrity-turned-Hogwarts instructor Gilderoy Lockhart.

X-Men star Nicholas Hoult was originally cast in the second series earlier this month but has now left due to scheduling issues, according to HBO.

Best known for playing Jon Snow in Game of Thrones, Harington also appears in BBC and HBO financial drama Industry. The star previously voiced Lockhart in an audio version of Harry Potter.

"I'm a huge Potter fan. I've got to be honest, he's one of my favourite characters," Harington told Collider, external. "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."