Nicholas Hoult will no longer play the role of Professor Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter. Although the English actor was originally cast for season 2 of the HBO series, he has reportedly left the production. The reason for his departure has recently been revealed.
According to Deadline, Hoult will not portray Gilderoy Lockhart due to scheduling conflicts. He reportedly had commitments to two other projects before he was signed for the series. When HBO originally planned Hoult’s scenes, he accommodated the schedule around his existing projects. But when the filming schedule changed, the dates clashed with his other projects, leading to his exit.
Although Hoult will not play Lockhart, he has previously played the character in the audiobook adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s seven-book series. He voiced the professor in Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions.
The character, who temporarily serves as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts in the narrative, will be introduced in Harry Potter Season 2.
What other franchises does Nicholas Hoult star in besides Harry Potter?
Nicholas Hoult has worked in several renowned projects. He portrayed Beast, aka Hank McCoy, in the X-Men film series from 20th Century Fox. He first appeared in the 2011 film X-Men: First Class and reprised the same role in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), and Dark Phoenix (2019).
Currently, Hoult is playing the role of Lex Luthor in DC Universe’s superhero movie series on Superman. He appeared as the supervillain in the 2025 film Superman and will return in the upcoming 2027 film Man of Tomorrow. Additionally, he played Nux in the 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road.
HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter television series is scheduled to premiere on December 25, 2026, on HBO and Max.
