Nicolas Hoult was only just announced to be joining the cast of HBOs upcoming Harry Potter TV series, and now he isn’t.
Hoult has had to exit the production due to scheduling conflicts. This adds to his run of potentially terrible luck in this space. He was originally to play the villain in the final two Mission: Impossible movies, but had to drop out to star in Renfield.
He was also due to play the role of Rooster in Top Gun: Maverick but again had to not take the role up, due to other commitments.
The role he was playing, Gilderoy Lockhart, will now be taken by Game of Thrones star Kit Harington in the second season, according to Variety.
Harington already voiced the character in Audible’s audiobook.
Lockhart is a central character in the second season, a celebrity who becomes the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. Kenneth Branagh played the role in the 2002 film.
The second season of Harry Potter will begin filming this Fall, and the first season will debut on HBO Max on Christmas Day.
