So, about HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ reboot — Kit Harrington actually talks casting
He’ll take on a part he’s already comfortable with — but which one?
Plenty of people raised an eyebrow when HBO announced it was giving the Harry Potter books the full TV series treatment, years after the original films wrapped up. But between fresh faces and surprise casting choices, this new adaptation is shaping up to be anything but boring. Today we've got a proper bit of shifting news on the cast that caught my attention.
Lockhart Swap: Hoult Out, Harington In
If you've been following this saga, you'll know Nicholas Hoult had been snagged to play Gilderoy Lockhart for season two—yes, already deep into production, as HBO seems keen on moving quickly. But somehow, Hoult's diary couldn't quite accommodate Lockhart's disastrous duels and literary fraud. Today, the studio said he's stepping aside, and in comes Kit Harington. That's Jon Snow himself, trading the Wall for wizarding self-importance.
I'm thrilled. I've said a million times, for anyone who cares, that 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 think he's going to be so fun.
Harington offered his reaction in a chat with Collider, and frankly, he sounds properly chuffed. If you're a bit of a Potter audiophile, you'll know Harington's not coming in cold—he voiced Lockhart for Audible's Harry Potter audiobooks not too long ago.
I got to play him in the audiobooks. That's not the exact way I'll play him in the show because it's an audiobook, but I've had a taste of him and felt my way around him. He's just a wonderful creation.
So it's not quite deja vu, but Harington's had a crack at the character before, and he seems keen to mix it up for live action. Lockhart, if you've mercifully forgotten, is Hogwarts' most disastrous Defence Against the Dark Arts hire, a full-time narcissist, and an absolute scene-stealer first brought to the screen by Kenneth Branagh in the films.
Main Cast: A Properly New Era
The trio has been sorted: Dominic McLaughlin plays Harry, Alastair Stout is Ron, and Arabella Stanton has Hermione—these young leads taking up the mantles made famous by Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson. In the staff room, there's John Lithgow as Dumbledore (truly), and Nick Frost donning Hagrid's beard. These choices alone suggest HBO is aiming for both name recognition and a slightly off-centre take compared to the original films.
- Dominic McLaughlin – Harry Potter
- Alastair Stout – Ron Weasley
- Arabella Stanton – Hermione Granger
- John Lithgow – Dumbledore
- Nick Frost – Hagrid
- Kit Harington – Gilderoy Lockhart (from season two)
Oh, and if you're itching to see Harington in something non-wizard for a change, he's starring as Sydney Carton in a new adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities—a four-parter coming to MGM+ and the BBC on 6 September.
The first season of HBO's Harry Potter TV show debuts on Christmas Day 2026.
And yes, Lockhart isn't turning up in season one: his grand entrance comes with Chamber of Secrets, so no sign of Harington until the second batch of episodes. The boy wizard's new TV adventures will officially kick off this Christmas.