Kit Harington joins HBO's Harry Potter series as Gilderoy Lockhart

Kit Harington has been tapped to join the highly anticipated Harry Potter TV series as the wizarding world's celebrity-turned-Hogwarts instructor Gilderoy Lockhart, HBO confirmed to the BBC.

Harington is replacing actor Nicholas Hoult who could not film season two of the series due to a scheduling conflict.

Best known for playing Jon Snow for eight seasons in the award-winning series Game of Thrones, Harington also appears in the BBC and HBO financial drama Industry . The casting marks the English actor's third collaboration with the American network and streamer.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is due to premiere on Christmas this year on HBO Max.

Season two will adapt the second book in the series by JK Rowling, The Chamber of Secrets, which chronicle's Potter's second year at the magical school.

"Before we begin year two at Hogwarts, there has been a slight change due to schedule: Kit Harington will be stepping into the role of Gilderoy Lockhart," a story post reads on the official Harry Potter Instagram account.

The new series adaptation of the best-selling books stars newcomer Dominic McLaughlin as the boy wizard, Alastair Stout as his best friend Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as the young witch Hermione Granger.

Oscar-nominated actor Jon Lithgow has been cast as Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore and Nick Frost as gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid.