Kit Harington explains why he joined Harry Potter series despite controversy

Kit Harington has explained why he decided to join HBO’s Harry Potter series despite the ongoing controversy surrounding author J.K. Rowling’s views on transgender rights.

The Game of Thrones star will play Gilderoy Lockhart in the second season of the upcoming adaptation, replacing Nicholas Hoult, who left the production because of scheduling conflicts. Harington said his decision was largely driven by his lifelong connection to the Harry Potter books and his excitement about bringing the story to television. 

Harington is a longtime fan of the books and has previously voiced Lockhart in Audible’s full-cast audio editions of the novels. He said the HBO series appealed to him because its format allows the story to explore Rowling’s books in greater detail than the original films.

The actor is joining the franchise at a time when Rowling’s views on transgender rights have led to criticism of the new adaptation and some of its cast. Several actors involved with the series have publicly distanced themselves from Rowling’s views while continuing to express their connection to the fictional world she created.

Harington’s casting was announced in August after Hoult exited the role of Lockhart. The character is the vain and inept Defence Against the Dark Arts professor introduced in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which will form the basis of the show’s second season.

The first season of HBO’s Harry Potter series, starring Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, is scheduled to premiere on December 25, 2026. Season two, which will feature Harington as Lockhart, is expected to follow in late 2027.