Actor Nicholas Hoult will play Goldilocks Lockhart in the Harry Potter series.

British actor Nicholas Hoult will play Professor Goldilocks Lockhart in the second season of the HBO series "Harry Potter". As a child, the actor auditioned for the roles of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy in the original films, but then did not join the cast. This was announced on August 12 by Entertainment Weekly magazine.

Information about Holt's joining the project was also confirmed on the official HBO Max account. The second season will be an adaptation of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and filming is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2026.

Goldilocks Lockhart appears at Hogwarts as a new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. He is known as the author of numerous books about encounters with dangerous magical creatures and the fight against dark forces. However, it gradually becomes clear that behind the wizard's self-confidence and high-profile reputation lies a lack of real abilities.

The actor joined the franchise about 25 years after his first attempts to enter the magical universe. During the making of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Holt auditioned for the lead role several times and met with director Chris Columbus. Daniel Radcliffe eventually got the role of Harry. After that, Holt was invited to audition for the role of Draco Malfoy, but the character was played by Tom Felton.

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In 2024, Holt revealed that he later met Columbus again while working on the film Nosferatu, which the director produced. According to the actor, the director did not remember his long-ago audition. Holt also joked that he could still try to play 11-year-old Harry by wearing glasses and drawing a scar on his forehead.

The first season of the HBO series will be based on the book "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone." Harry, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley will be played by Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout. The cast also includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. The premiere of the first season is scheduled for December 25, 2026. A second season was ordered before the series was released and is expected to be released in late 2027.

Holt has previously been involved in several major franchises. He played Hank McCoy, known as The Beast, in the X-Men film series, and also played the role of Lex Luthor in the DC film universe. The actor is also known for the films "Mad Max: Fury Road", "Menu" and "Nosferatu", the TV series "Suckers" and "The Great".

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On March 26, HBO presented the first teaser trailer for the series based on J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, called "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone." The first two-minute video introduces the audience to the new performers of the roles of the famous "golden trio".