‘Harry Potter’ Reboot Recasts Three Key Characters, Starting in Season 2

The upcoming Harry Potter reboot has announced more casting news today.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is set to debut on HBO in December, marking the first in seven seasons of a new take on J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world. The series – which has already started work on Season 2, inspired by Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – is led by Dominic McLaughlin as Harry, Alastair Stout as Ron, and Arabella Stanton as Hermione, alongside John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Snape, Janet McTeer as McGonagall, and Nick Frost as Hagrid.

The show isn’t without its controversy. Rowling’s continued involvement as an executive producer has attracted backlash over her views on transgender issues, while others – including original Harry Potter director Chris Columbus – have questioned the necessity of retelling a story whose film adaptation only concluded 15 years ago.

Its cast hasn’t exactly been set in stone, either. Gracie Cochrane, who plays Ginny Weasley in Season 1, has already stepped away due to “unforeseen circumstances,” with some fans expecting additional departures in the future.

Now, we have even more news about the show’s ever-changing cast list.

HBO Issues Casting Update for ‘Harry Potter’

HBO has now filled three major Chamber of Secrets roles.

Lenny Rush will voice Dobby, Bonnie Hill will play Ginny Weasley, and Billy Barratt is teenage Tom Riddle. In the original adaptation, the characters were played by Toby Jones, Bonnie Wright, and Christian Coulson, respectively.

Bonnie Hill has been cast as Ginny Weasley in HBO’s HARRY POTTER and the Chamber of Secrets pic.twitter.com/BzdwkLm9LV

— Wizarding World Direct (@WW_Direct) September 4, 2026

All three are particularly important additions for Season 2. Dobby spends much of the story trying to keep Harry away from Hogwarts, Ginny becomes central to the mystery unfolding inside the school, while Riddle’s enchanted diary ultimately holds the key to the Chamber of Secrets itself.

Rush is already a familiar face from Doctor Who, Enola Holmes 2, and Am I Being Unreasonable?, for which he won a BAFTA in 2023. Hill’s credits include Film Club, The Six Triple Eight, and the children’s series Girl Troop versus Aliens.

Barratt, meanwhile, won an International Emmy for Responsible Child and has since appeared in Invasion, Kraven the Hunter, Crater, and Bring Her Back. His casting ends speculation that Adolescence star Owen Cooper could play Riddle, although that rumor was never substantiated by HBO.

Billy Barratt has been cast as young Voldemort, aka Tom Riddle, in Season 2 of the ‘HARRY POTTER’ series. pic.twitter.com/DUarcrBlHt

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 4, 2026

There is still one major Voldemort question hanging over the reboot. While Barratt will portray his teenage identity, HBO has yet to reveal who will eventually succeed Ralph Fiennes as the fully-fledged Dark Lord – leaving one of the show’s biggest pieces of casting under wraps.

Names linked to the role include Paul Bettany, Tom Hiddleston, and even Fiennes himself, with the latter revealing that he turned down a return to the franchise as He Who Must Not Be Named.

What do you think of the new Harry Potter casting news?