‘Harry Potter’: HBO To Recast Ginny Weasley Role in Season 2 After Child Actor Exits Series Due to Unforeseen Circumstances. Nicholas Hoult Joins ‘Harry Potter’ Season 2Nicholas Hoult, who was born on December 7, 1989, is 36 years old as of August 12, 2026, and will turn 37 in December. Season 2 of the HBO series will faithfully adapt JK Rowling's second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, where Gilderoy Lockhart plays a central, albeit ultimately comedic and incompetent, figure. The character was famously portrayed by Kenneth Branagh in the 2002 film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, a performance that garnered significant praise. ‘Harry Potter’ Scores Early Season 2 Renewal, ‘Chamber of Secrets’ Adaptation Locked by HBO.