Nicholas Hoult is heading to Hogwarts. The Superman and The Great star has joined Season 2 of HBO’s Harry Potterseries as Gilderoy Lockhart, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor and one of the biggest characters introduced in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Lockhart arrives at Hogwarts during Harry’s second year as the school’s new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. Famous across the wizarding world for his books detailing supposedly heroic encounters with dark creatures, he is just as well known for his vanity and love of attention, including being a five-time winner of Witch Weekly’s Most Charming Smile Award. Kenneth Branagh previously played the character in the 2002 film adaptation of Chamber of Secrets.
Season 2 will adapt the second book in J.K. Rowling’s series and is due to begin filming this autumn. HBO gave the series an early renewal in May, before the first season has even premiered, with Jon Brown joining Francesca Gardiner as co-showrunner for the second chapter.
Dominic McLaughlin leads the series as Harry Potter, with Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. They are joined by John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. Season 1, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, is set to premiere on HBO and HBO Max on 25 December 2026.
Hoult joins the Wizarding World after a run of very different roles, including Lex Luthor in Superman, Peter III in The Great and appearances in Nosferatu, The Menu and the X-Men films. He will also reprise Lex Luthor in Man of Tomorrow. It is a long way from where it all started with his breakout role as Marcus in About a Boy.
For CultureCues, Nicholas Hoult as Gilderoy Lockhart is such fun casting. He has played some brilliant roles over the years and we can absolutely see him leaning into everything vain and ridiculous about Lockhart, but for a certain generation of British viewers, part of us is probably always going to see Tony Stonem from Skins. Watching him suddenly stroll into Hogwarts as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor may take a minute, but we are very ready for it. Lockhart has entered the chat, charming smile and all.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone premieres on HBO and HBO Max on 25 December 2026.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.