Nicholas Hoult is heading from one major franchise to another, with the Superman actor joining HBO's upcoming Harry Potter series for its second season. Hoult has joined the series franchise in the role of an iconic villain for season 2, ahead of the season 1 premiere.
For Hoult, the casting marks another high-profile addition to a career that has increasingly seen him take on morally grey or outright villainous characters. He currently plays Lex Luthor in Superman and is set to reprise the role in Man of Tomorrow. His recent credits also include The Menu, The Order, Nosferatu and Juror #2.
The Harry Potter series features Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. The returning ensemble includes Nick Frost as Hagrid, John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Snape and Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall.
Hoult has been cast as Gilderoy Lockhart, the flamboyant Defence Against the Dark Arts professor introduced in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The character was previously played by Kenneth Branagh in the 2002 film adaptation.
In the books, Lockhart is known for his obsession with fame, exaggerated stories of his supposed heroic exploits and his trademark confidence. Despite presenting himself as an accomplished wizard, he has a particular talent for memory charms.
Lockhart joins Hogwarts as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher after being recruited by Albus Dumbledore. Among his many claims to fame is having won Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award five times, while his books recount his alleged encounters with dangerous magical creatures.
Season 2 of the series has already received the green light and is expected to begin production this autumn. The first season, based on JK Rowling's Harry Potter novels, is scheduled to premiere around Christmas, with the second instalment following the events of The Chamber of Secrets.
Francesca Gardiner serves as showrunner, writer and executive producer on the series, with Mark Mylod also executive producing and directing multiple episodes. Jon Brown, who worked as a writer on the first season, has been promoted to co-showrunner for Season 2. JK Rowling, Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley-Letts and David Heyman are also among the executive producers.
The Harry Potter series will mark Hoult's third major television role after his breakthrough in the British teen drama Skins and his acclaimed performance as Peter III in Hulu's The Great. He is also set to appear in Amazon MGM Studios' How To Rob a Bank, which is scheduled for release in November.