Nicholas Hoult joins ‘Harry Potter’ season 2, and he’s playing the character that was played by Kenneth Branagh in Chamber of Secrets

Nicholas Hoult is officially joining the second season of the upcoming Harry Potter series, as reported by Deadline, and he is stepping into a role that fans will immediately recognize. The actor has been tapped to play Gilderoy Lockhart, the same character portrayed by Kenneth Branagh in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

You might know Hoult from his recent work as Lex Luthor in Superman, a role he is set to reprise in the upcoming Man Of Tomorrow. He has really leaned into these darker, more complex characters lately, having played Bob Mathews in The Order, Tyler in The Menu, and Peter III in The Great.

In the story, Lockhart is a wizard who is incredibly well-versed in Memory Charms and is a five-time winner of Witch Weekly’s Most Charming Smile Award. He is recruited by Albus Dumbledore to serve as the Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, and he is known for authoring many books about his supposed encounters with dark creatures.

Considering Hoult’s recent streak of playing antagonists, this feels like a perfect fit for his current career path

Production for the second season is gearing up to start this fall. This follows the official greenlight, which was announced back in May. If you are wondering when you can watch the start of this journey, the first season, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, is scheduled for a Christmas premiere. The show will air on HBO, and it will be available to stream exclusively on HBO Max.

The core cast for the series includes Dominic McLaughlin, who is taking on the role of the titular Hogwarts wizard, while Alastair Stanton plays Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout portrays Ron Weasley. You can expect to see Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall.

Behind the scenes, the creative team is making some shifts to keep the momentum going. Jon Brown, who served as a writer during the first season, has been elevated to co-showrunner for the second season. He will be working alongside the showrunner from the first season, Gardiner.

The series is based on the books by J.K. Rowling and is produced by HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. It is a major undertaking, with executive production credits going to Rowling, Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films. Mark Mylod, who directed multiple episodes of the first season, also serves as an executive producer.

For Hoult, this role marks his third major television series project. He first gained significant attention in the British teen drama Skins, and he later earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for his performance in the Hulu comedy The Great. Between his upcoming appearance in Amazon MGM Studios’ How To Rob a Bank in November and his recent work in Juror #2 and Nosferatu, it is clear he is staying busy.