Nicholas Hoult, the blockbuster actor most recently seen as iconic villain Lex Luthor in Superman and Peacemaker, has officially signed up to play Lockhart, the always-immaculate author-turned-Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

Introduced in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Lockhart’s reputation precedes him. From allegedly fighting off werewolves and banshees, to publishing a multitude of books and – most importantly – winning Witch Weekly’s Most-Charming-Smile Award five times (although he doesn’t like to talk about it), we can’t wait to see what Nicholas Hoult brings to the role.

Before Lockhart makes his dashing debut, we’ll soon be diving into Harry’s first year... as the series begins Christmas 2026 on HBO and will be available to stream exclusively on HBO Max where it’s available, including recent launch markets Germany, Italy, and the UK & Ireland.

You can learn absolutely everything we already know about the Harry Potter television series right here – and do sign up for our newsletter to get all the latest owl post as soon as we have it.

Season 1 of the series, based on J.K. Rowling’s beloved books, is written and executive produced by Francesca Gardiner. Mark Mylod will executive produce and direct multiple episodes of the series for HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. The series is executive produced by J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films.