Kit Harington, star of "Game of Thrones," has joined the cast of the second season of HBO's "Harry Potter" series. The actor, known for his role as Jon Snow, will play Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, according to infohub.kz.
Harington replaces Nicholas Hoult, who was originally cast in the role but left the project due to scheduling conflicts: filming for Lockhart's scenes was rescheduled, and the actor could not accommodate the new timetable.
This character is not new to Harington: last year he voiced Lockhart in an audio version of "Harry Potter" with a full cast. Now he will bring the self-assured Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to the screen.
Lockhart appears in J.K. Rowling's second book, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." In the 2002 film, he was played by Kenneth Branagh. The character is known for his love of fame, self-praise, and flashy tales of his own exploits.
Filming for the second season will begin in the fall. The premiere of the first season is scheduled for Christmas, with lead roles played by Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, and Arabella Stanton.
This is Harington's third HBO project. He played Jon Snow in all eight seasons of "Game of Thrones" and is currently also starring in the series "Industry."
Earlier it was reported that security measures were heightened on the set of the new "Harry Potter" series due to threats against actor Paapa Essiedu, who will play Severus Snape.