Kit Harington has returned to the realm of HBO\u2019s fantasy programming. <\/p>\n
Harington, popular for portraying reluctant hero Jon Snow in the TV adaptation of George R.R. Martin\u2019s<\/a> \u201cGame of Thrones,\u201d has joined the cast of HBO\u2019s \u201cHarry Potter\u201d series, the network confirmed<\/a> Monday. HBO teased Harington\u2019s casting on Instagram, revealing he will play Professor Gilderoy Lockhart.<\/p>\n \u201cSuperman\u201d and \u201cRenfield\u201d actor Nicholas Hoult was initially cast in the role but departed the series over scheduling issues, according to Deadline<\/a>. In the film adaptations of author J.K. Rowling\u2019s beloved children\u2019s series, Kenneth Branagh portrayed the Hogwarts instructor. <\/p>\n Emmy-nominated Harington comes to the TV series with some \u201cHarry Potter\u201d experience already in hand. Last year he voiced Professor Lockhart for Audible\u2019s \u201cHarry Potter\u201d audiobooks. Years after \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d ended in 2019, Harington reunited with HBO for its gritty finance drama \u201cIndustry<\/a>,\u201d portraying a complicated tech CEO. <\/p>\n HBO\u2019s \u201cHarry Potter\u201d is set to premiere on Christmas Day with Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. Other cast members include John Lithgow<\/a> as Albus Dumbledore, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.<\/p>\n Earlier this year, actor Gracie Cochrane\u2019s family announced that the young actor departed the series <\/a>\u2014 she was to play Ron Weasley\u2019s younger sister Ginny \u2014 because of a \u201cchallenging decision\u201d to \u201cunforeseen circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe support Gracie Cochrane and her family\u2019s decision not to return for the next season of HBO\u2019s \u2018Harry Potter\u2019 series,\u201d HBO wrote in a statement at the time, \u201cand we are grateful for her work on season one of the show.\u201d<\/p>\n