Nicholas Hoult will play Gilderoy Lockhart in the second season of HBO's "Harry Potter" television adaptation, Variety reported. The show is set to debut its first season on Dec. 25 on HBO and HBO Max, with a renewal already in place for Season 2, which will be based on "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."
Lockhart is a central character in the second book, serving as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. According to the source material, he is a celebrated wizard known for authoring accounts of his heroic exploits, though he is characterized as arrogant and vain. He is quickly revealed to be unsuited for his teaching position. Kenneth Branagh played the character in the 2002 film adaptation of "Chamber of Secrets."
Hoult has appeared in numerous major franchises, having played Dr. Hank McCoy/Beast in multiple X-Men films. He currently portrays Lex Luthor in James Gunn's DC Studios films, a role he originated in "Superman," released in 2025, and will reprise in the sequel "Man of Tomorrow" in 2027. His film credits include "Mad Max: Fury Road," "Nosferatu," "Juror #2," "The Menu," and "Renfield."
On television, Hoult starred in the critically-acclaimed Hulu series "The Great," which earned him an Emmy nomination and two Golden Globe nominations. He also played Luthor in the second season of "Peacemaker" and had an early role in the UK teen drama "Skins."
Filming on Season 2 is scheduled to begin this fall. Dominic McLaughlin will play the title role, with Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. The supporting cast includes John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Snape, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. Jon Brown, promoted from the first season writing staff, will serve as co-showrunner alongside Francesca Gardini. J.K. Rowling executive produces alongside Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV and David Heyman of Heyday Films, with Warner Bros. Television producing.
