Nicholas Hoult fans disappointed as he joins HBO Harry Potter as Gilderoy Lockhart
Nicholas Hoult (Image: Getty Images)
Nicholas Hoult has been cast as Gilderoy Lockhart in season two of HBO’s Harry Potter TV series, with many of his LGBTQ+ fans left feeling disappointed.
The casting was confirmed by Deadline on 11 August.
Season one, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and based on the first book, is set to premiere on 25 December 2026 on HBO and HBO Max. Season two adapts Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and is scheduled to begin filming this autumn.
Lockhart is a major figure in the Chamber of Secrets story: Hogwarts’ new Defence Against The Dark Arts professor, who is more focused on his own fame, based on his faked acts of heroism, than teaching young witches and wizards. In the 2002 film adaptation, the role was played by Kenneth Branagh.
Nicholas Hoult fans devastated
Hoult has attracted a strong fanbase from the LGBTQ+ community due to his previous roles, including as Tony Stonem in cult classic series Skins, who appeared to be sexually fluid. Images of the star looking particularly handsome also regularly go viral on social media – including his leather daddy look at this year’s Met Gala.
However some fans have been left disappointed due to him joining the show, which is based on books by JK Rowling, who is also executive producer. Rowling is well known for her divisive views on trans rights, and regularly offers legal funding for sex-based women’s groups.
One person said of Hoult’s casting: “Massively disappointing to see an actor I liked cast in this show.” Another wrote on X: “Hey can you delete this? I just need to go back to before I saw it.”
A third said: “Oh man, men just be disappointing left and right lately.” Someone else said: “Super disappointed to hear this, I do not support anyone who still supports the Harry Potter franchise.”
Another added: “I have never in my life yelled at a girl like this, we were all rooting for you.” And one fan said: “It’s so sad to see his career come to this.”
Backlash to Harry Potter cast
Hoult, who broke out in About a Boy (2002) and later played Hank McCoy/Beast across the X-Men film series, is not the first (and likely won’t be the last) actor to get backlash due to his part in the Harry Potter reboot.
Bel Powley, who will play Aunt Petunia, recently spoke out to say she “strongly disagrees” with JK Rowling.
John Lithgow, who is playing Albus Dumbledore, has been asked a number of times about the backlash since his casting, with him saying in March that he was urged to walk away. “I do disagree with much of it,” he said on the Radio Hour podcast, “much of it I think has been twisted and misrepresented, and she has doubled down on it at her own cost.”
While Paapa Essiedu – who will play Professor Snape, something else which garnered uncalled for backlash as he is a Black man – has made it clear he stands by the trans community, despite his role.
He told The Sunday Times: “My points of view are mine and will continue to be so.”
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