Hollywood actor Nicholas Hoult abruptly decided to withdraw just two weeks after the casting announcement for HBO's new series 'Harry Potter.' It is believed to be the fallout from intense public criticism surrounding J.K. Rowling and fierce backlash from transgender advocacy Jinyoung. Kit Harington, well known for 'Game of Thrones,' will be urgently brought in to fill the vacancy.
On the 24th (local time), British outlets including the Daily Mail reported that Nicholas Hoult was scheduled to appear as Gilderoy Lockhart in the HBO-produced "Harry Potter" TV series but ultimately gave it up. Officially he cited "schedule conflicts" as the reason for his withdrawal, but in reality it is known that he could not withstand the barrage of protests and boycott pressure from fans following comments about sexual minorities by original author J.K. Rowling.
In fact, immediately after the news of Nicholas Hoult's casting was released, critical reactions such as "very disappointed" and "can no longer support him" poured in, centered on his overseas fandom, and fan page account holders announced they would suspend operations one after another, causing severe turmoil.
As a result of Hoult's withdrawal, the role of Gilderoy Lockhart will be played by actor Kit Harington. Kit Harington previously voiced the same character in the audio book "Harry Potter" series. In a past interview, Kit Harington expressed special affection for the role, saying, "Gilderoy Lockhart is a character who could not be more interesting and enjoyable as an actor."
Gilderoy Lockhart is the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts who appears in the second story of the "Harry Potter" series, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." He is full of bluster and boasts a flamboyant eloquence, but he is also inept and petty, stealing others' achievements and erasing memories. In the past film series, Kenneth Branagh played the role and received great affection.
Meanwhile, HBO's "Harry Potter" TV series opened a new era by casting 11-year-old newcomer Dominic MacLaffin as the lead Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. Filming for the second season is scheduled to begin this fall, and the first season is being prepared for release during the Christmas season.
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