Nicholas Hoult is set to join HBO’s Harry Potter series as Gilderoy Lockhart in its second season.
Nicholas Hoult’s character will enter the story as Hogwarts’ new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, a celebrated wizard whose reputation for heroic exploits masks an equally prominent arrogance and vanity.
The series will premiere its first season on December 25 on HBO and HBO Max, adapting Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, while Season 2 will turn to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Production on the second season is expected to begin this fall.
Lockhart was previously portrayed by Kenneth Branagh in the 2002 film adaptation of The Chamber of Secrets. For Nicholas Hoult, the role marks another major franchise addition to an already expansive résumé. He previously appeared as Beast in the X-Men films and currently plays Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s DC Universe. His credits also include Mad Max: Fury Road, Nosferatu, Juror #2, The Menu, Renfield and Hulu’s The Great.
The new series stars Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, alongside John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Snape and Nick Frost as Hagrid.
Jon Brown, who worked as a writer on the first season, will join returning showrunner and series creator Francesca Gardiner as co-showrunner for Season 2. Gardiner and director Mark Mylod executive produce alongside J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley-Letts and David Heyman. Warner Bros. Television serves as the studio behind the series.
