Nicholas Hoult has backed out of his role as Gilderoy Lockhart in HBO's upcoming Harry Potter series, following a backlash from anti-JK Rowling activists over his casting.
The English Golden Globe winner's casting as Lockhart was announced less than a fortnight ago. He has now pulled out, blaming "scheduling issues," and will be replaced by Kit Harington.
Harry Potter author Rowling is a fierce defender of women's rights but has been labelled transphobic by some pro-trans campaigners. She serves as an executive producer on the HBO show, and many of the actors cast in the new series have faced the wrath of her critics, who believe any remakes of her work should be boycotted.
A fan account dedicated to the Skins star, Houltdaily, wrote on X: "Pausing any posts on this account for the time being. Nicholas Hoult do better, so many of your fans are hurt."
A user called Lesbianlexluthor posted: "I'm going to just log off indefinitely for now. I really have no idea what I'm going to do. I genuinely have no idea."
"Incredibly disappointed. Used to be one of my favourite actors but oh well!" added a user called Parasocialyte.
Kit Harington steps into the role
In light of Hoult's exit, the role has been given to Game of Thrones star Harington, who has already voiced Lockhart for Audible's Harry Potter audiobooks.
Reflecting on his part in the audiobook, Harington previously told Variety: "It was a really simple yes, because I love the character. As far as cameos in a series go, you don't get much more entertaining and fun to do as an actor than Gilderoy Lockhart. It was a no-brainer."
Who is Gilderoy Lockhart?
The role was originated by Kenneth Branagh in the 2002 film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which earned more than $883 million at the worldwide box office. In the story, Lockhart is a Hogwarts professor who arrives as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and, as the book series reveals, takes credit for other wizards' heroic deeds after wiping their memories.
Filming for the second season of the HBO Harry Potter series is expected to start this autumn, while the first season will be released on HBO and HBO Max on Christmas Day.
Hoult is no stranger to playing a villain, having previously portrayed Lex Luthor in the 2025 Superman film starring David Corenswet. He gained mainstream Hollywood recognition after starring in the UK series Skins, as well as the Hulu comedy The Great, for which he earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.
The new faces of Hogwarts
The HBO reboot will see 11-year-old Dominic McLaughlin play Harry Potter, a role famously portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe, 37.
Alastair Stout will play Ron Weasley, previously portrayed by Rupert Grint, and Arabella Stanton will complete the trio as Hermione Granger, a role played by Emma Watson, 36, in the original early 2000s films.
Speaking about landing the titular role, McLaughlin told the BBC: "I was always a huge Harry Potter fan when I was younger. And it was like the dream role, of course." He also called it "a bit surreal," adding: "I'm thrilled to be able to be doing it."
Nick Frost is playing Rubeus Hagrid in the series, with John Lithgow taking on the role of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore and Janet McTeer playing Professor McGonagall.
According to Deadline, Jon Brown, a writer on the not-yet-released first season, has been promoted to co-showrunner alongside Francesca Gardiner for season two.
News of Hoult's casting came after Rowling, who is executive-producing the HBO series, said in a post on X in June that she had read the first two episodes of the TV adaptation, calling them "SO, SO, SO GOOD."
