Harry Potter has been a cultural phenomenon since the books began to be published in the ’90s, and when Warner Bros. brought them to the big screen, they only became that much more massive. However, in spite of the decades that have passed since these stories began, the franchise is far from over. Instead, Warner Bros. is back, this time teaming up with HBO, with a brand-new series based on the books. Each season will encompass one of the original seven books—presumably spanning seven seasons in just as many years, although that’s not guaranteed—with season 1, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, hitting HBO Max on Christmas Day this year. Already, we’ve had many casting announcements for season 1, and now, casting decisions for season 2 have already been announced.
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Most recently, Lenny Rush was confirmed as the show’s Dobby, Bonnie Hill will play Ginny Weasley (replacing Gracie Cochrane from season 1), and Billy Barratt will play Tom Riddle. Previously, Superman’s Lex Luthor actor Nicholas Hoult was reported to be in talks for the role of Gilderoy Lockhart, but he ultimately walked away from the role, citing scheduling conflicts. Lockhart, who is known for his comical ego, was played by Kenneth Branagh in the movies and does not appear until the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, so it makes sense that he wouldn’t appear until season 2. Nevertheless, Warner Bros. and HBO wasted no time filling the now empty role and named Kit Harington as the new choice for Lockhart. Now, Harington has shared his perspective on the role and the series overall, and it’s likely to draw some attention.
Harington Is “Fully Supportive” of New Harry Potter Series
Despite being a late addition to the Harry Potter series (or, at least, a replacement addition), it’s clear Harington is no less enthusiastic about the project. On Josh Horowitz’s Happy, Sad, Confued show, Harington actually made it clear that it was a no-brainer for him to say yes to the offer, explaining, “When I knew they were doing this show, I was like, ‘I think that’s a brilliant idea. I think they can really delve into it further than the films did.’ I’m fully supportive of it…And then I got called to be in it, and that was just a very simple, ‘Yes, please!’” Harington also confirmed in the interview that he is a hardcore Harry Potter fan, not only because he was a fan as a kid but also because he uses the audiobooks to sleep. The latter, he explained, became especially important to him once he got sober.
Typically, this type of enthusiasm for a role would be met with a very warm welcome by fans; however, the Harry Potter series has proven a bit more complicated than most, with many (some who are/were fans and others who weren’t) calling for boycotts of the show and taking to social media with backlash against actors who sign onto the project because of Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling’s ideologies. Already, there is speculation that this may have led to some departures from the project, although that hasn’t been confirmed. Either way, it’s clear that Harington is very enthusiastic about his upcoming role.
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