Why did Nicholas Hoult leave the HBO Harry Potter series and who will replace him as Gilderoy Lockhart?

THE highly anticipated Harry Potter TV series has seen a major casting shake-up. Fans were thrilled when X-Men actor Nicholas Hoult was announced as the famously vain wizard Gilderoy Lockhart earlier this month. Less than two weeks after being announced as part of the cast, Nicholas Hoult has stepped down from HBO’s Harry Potter series Credit: AFP He will be replaced by 39-year-old Game of Thrones actor Kit Harington Credit: Getty But less than two weeks after that announcement, the 36-year-old star has stepped down from the role. Here is everything you need to know about why Hoult is leaving the HBO adaptation and who is replacing him. Sign up for the TV newsletter Thank you! Why did Nicholas Hoult leave the Harry Potter series? Hoult’s departure from the fantasy series comes down to a classic Hollywood hurdle: scheduling conflicts. HBO originally announced Hoult as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in an Instagram post on August 12. But just days later, the official Harry Potter Instagram page confirmed that he would no longer be taking part in the show’s upcoming second series. Addressing the departure, the statement explained that the recast was simply “a slight change due to schedule.” With major TV productions requiring huge time commitments, overlapping projects often force actors to make difficult choices. In this case, Hoult’s busy diary meant he could no longer commit to stepping into the magical classroom. Most read in News TV Who is replacing him as Gilderoy Lockhart? Stepping into the robes of Professor Lockhart is British actor Kit Harington. The 39-year-old Game of Thrones star will now take on the part of the celebrity wizard who joins the Hogwarts staff during Harry’s second year. The show’s official social media accounts shared a picture of Harington on Monday, August 24 to announce the news. The caption read: “Before we begin year two at Hogwarts, there has been a slight change due to schedule. “Kit Harington will be stepping into the role of Gilderoy Lockhart.” Are there any other casting changes? Hoult is not the only actor to depart the series. It was recently announced that the role of Ginny Weasley is also being recast ahead of the second series. Actress Gracie Cochrane is leaving the project due to “unforeseen circumstances.” The search for a new actress to play the youngest Weasley sibling is currently underway. Who else is in the cast? The upcoming HBO series aims to be a faithful adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s beloved children’s novels. It promises to provide wider insight into the wizarding world beyond what was depicted in the hit film franchise, which ran from 2001 to 2011. Taking on the roles of the central trio are newcomers Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. The adult cast features Paapa Essiedu as Professor Severus Snape and acclaimed US actor John Lithgow as wise and powerful headmaster, Professor Albus Dumbledore. Bel Powley will also star as Harry’s strict aunt, Petunia Dursley. In an interview with the Telegraph, Powley recently made headlines after saying that she “strongly disagrees” with J.K. Rowling’s views on gender. She said: “I think that the trans community deserve safety and dignity and respect and total acceptance.” Rowling has said she believes biological sex is immutable and has criticised self-declared gender identity as “quasi-religious” and “anti-science.” Because the author profits from the show, critics say that appearing in the production bolsters her platform and financial backing of gender-critical campaigns. Actors taking a role in the series will ultimately generate royalties for Rowling, whose funding of initiatives like the J.K. Rowling Women’s Fund has drawn heavy criticism for excluding trans women. Actors like Powley, Essiedu and Hoult, who famously played a sexually fluid teenager in Skins, have previously expressed support for trans rights or built strong followings within the LGBTQ+ community. Fans view their decision to join the high-profile reboot as a contradiction of those public stances. Advocacy groups, human rights organisations and several directors have called for a boycott of the series. When does the Harry Potter series air? Fans do not have long to wait to see the new cast in action. The first series of the HBO show, which has been adapted from Rowling’s first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, will launch this Christmas. Comment now