Kit Harington is heading back to HBO, this time as one of the wizarding world’s most vain frauds. The Game of Thrones star has been cast as Gilderoy Lockhart in the second season of HBO’s Harry Potter series, replacing Nicholas Hoult, who has left the production because of scheduling conflicts.

HBO has unveiled the cast of the new generation of Weasleys for its upcoming “Harry Potter” series, currently filming at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden.

Dominic McLaughlin takes on the challenge of portraying Harry Potter—a character indelibly associated with Daniel Radcliffe, who starred in the eight-film saga that ran from 2001 to 2011.

JK Rowling has voiced strong support for HBO’s upcoming “Harry Potter” television adaptation, calling the first two episodes “SO, SO, SO GOOD!” in a recent post on X. Though she’s not writing for the series directly, Rowling confirmed she’s been “working closely with the extremely talented writers.”

HBO's recent casting decision for its upcoming “Harry Potter” series has sparked controversy online, with fans criticising the selection of Italian actress Alessia Leoni to play Parvati Patil, a character of Indian origin from the original books and films.

The announcement follows an exhaustive casting process that saw thousands of young hopefuls auditioning for the beloved roles first brought to life by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint more than two decades ago.

John Lithgow, a highly respected actor, has been a prominent figure in film and television for decades. He’s known for his roles in movies like “The World According to Garp”, “Terms of Endearment”, and “Footloose”, as well as TV series such as “3rd Rock from the Sun”, “Dexter”, and “The Crown”. More recently, he appeared in FX’s “The Old Man” and Focus Features’ “Conclave”.

HBO is searching for the perfect Severus Snape for its upcoming Harry Potter TV series and believes “I May Destroy You” star Paapa Essiedu could be an ideal fit. 

"I'm looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long-form television series," Rowling said in a statement.