HBO Casts Tom Riddle and Dobby for Harry Potter Season 2, Recasts Ginny Weasley

HBO has announced key cast members for Season 2 of its Harry Potter series, which will adapt the novel Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Young British actors Billy Barratt and Lenny Rush have joined the project, while the role of Ginny Weasley had to be urgently recast.

Young Dark Lord and Dobby’s Debut

Billy Barratt will play 16-year-old Tom Riddle, a key figure in the events of the Chamber of Secrets and the future Lord Voldemort. The actor is known for the series Invasion and the horror film Bring Her Back, and at thirteen, he became the youngest winner of an International Emmy Award for the drama Responsible Child.

Dobby the house-elf will be played by British actor Lenny Rush, who appeared in Doctor Who and the mystery film Enola Holmes 2. As Entertainment Weekly notes, the showrunners have not yet revealed the technical details of the role: whether the character will be created entirely with CGI, combined with practical prosthetic makeup, or recreated using a motion-capture suit with the actor’s facial expressions.

Urgent Recast in the Weasley Family

The most unexpected news was the first major recast in the main child ensemble. Gracie Cochrane played Ginny Weasley in the debut season, but she will not be able to continue working on the series. According to TheWrap, the actress’s family backed out of filming due to “unforeseen circumstances,” the details of which both parties chose not to disclose. Starting in Season 2, the role of the youngest Weasley will be taken over by Bonnie Hill, who appeared in the historical drama The Six Triple Eight.

The project’s team is currently busy with pre-production for Season 2 at the Leavesden studios near London, with principal photography set to start toward the end of 2026. The release of the show’s first season is scheduled for December 25, 2026, on the Max streaming service, while the release date for the Chamber of Secrets adaptation has not yet been revealed.