MANILA, Philippines — The upcoming "Harry Potter" series on HBO continues to upgrade its cast with a major addition for the second season.
British actor Nicholas Hoult has been tapped to portray Gilderoy Lockhart, one of Hogwarts' short-lived Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers.
Lockhart first appears in the second book, "The Chamber of Secrets," as a wizard famed for numerous heroic acts that leads to his appointment.
Behind his vanity and arrogance, however, Lockhart's ineptitude and incompetence is unmasked after it is revealed that he casts memory charms on others to take credit for their achievements.
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The character has a brief appearance in the fifth book "The Order of the Phoenix," but in the films, he only appears in "The Chamber of Secrets" played by Kenneth Branagh.
Hoult is no stranger to franchises after portraying Hank McCoy or Beast in "X-Men" and currently Lex Luthor for "Superman."
He is also known for "Skins," "Warm Bodies," "The Favourite," "The Menu," "Nosferatu," "Renfield," "Tolkien," "Jack the Giant Slayer," and multiple nominations for "The Great."
Production on the second season of the "Harry Potter" show with Dominic McLaughlin as the titular character will begin later this year ahead of the series premiere on Christmas Day.