Nicholas Hoult has been cast as Gilderoy Lockhart in the upcoming second season of HBO's Harry Potter series, a role previously filled by Kenneth Branagh in the film adaptations. Hoult, who has recently appeared as Lex Luthor in DC films and in the X-Men franchise, will bring the flamboyant wizard to life for the television adaptation.
Season 2 of the series will adapt J.K. Rowling's second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and is scheduled to begin filming in the fall. The character of Gilderoy Lockhart is described as a charming but ultimately vain wizard who achieved fame through charisma and memory charms, fabricating tales of his own heroic deeds. His habit of exaggeration led to his downfall when he took on the role of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts and was exposed for his incompetence by Harry Potter and his friends.
Hoult is currently working on the Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow and will next be seen in the film How to Rob a Bank, set for release on November 13. His extensive acting credits include Mad Max: Fury Road, The Great, Warm Bodies, Nosferatu, Renfield, The Menu, Tolkien, About a Boy, and Skins.
The first season of the Harry Potter series, titled Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone, is set to debut on HBO and stream on HBO Max during Christmas 2026. The series is written and executive produced by Francesca Gardine. The cast for the first season includes Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, among others.