Nicholas Hoult has signed up for the second series of the Harry Potter TV series.
The 36-year-old actor will play Gilderoy Lockhart in the programme — the role previously played by Kenneth Branagh in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the 2002 movie adaptation of JK Rowling’s boy wizard books.
Hoult is no stranger to playing a villain, having previously starred as Lex Luthor in the most recent Superman movie.
So, he’ll be a pro at portraying the vain and villainous Lockhart — a professor who serves as a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, and also takes the credit for other wizards’ “heroic deeds” after wiping their memories.
Nicholas has also previously enjoyed TV success in Skins and comedy The Great, for which he earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.
The second season of Harry Potter is due to start filming later this year, according to Deadline — before the first season of the HBO Max show has even aired.
The pilot of the small screen adaptation, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, is due to air this Christmas.
The programme will see Dominic McLaughlin play Harry, with Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton completing the trio as Hermione Granger.
Speaking recently about landing the titular role in the series, Dominic, 11, told the BBC: “I was always a huge Harry Potter fan when I was younger. And it was like the dream role, of course.”
He also called it a “bit surreal”, adding: “I’m thrilled to be able to be doing it.”
Nick Frost is playing Rubeus Hagrid in the Potter TV series, with John Lithgow taking on the role of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore and Janet McTeer playing Professor McGonagall.
According to Deadline, Jon Brown, a writer on the first series, has been promoted to co-showrunner alongside Francesca Gardiner for season two.
News of Hoult’s casting comes after author Rowling, who is executive producing the new series, said in a post on X back in June that she had read the first two episodes of the TV adaptation, calling them “SO, SO, SO GOOD”.
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