HBO’s “Harry Potter” TV series has made several key cast additions for Season 2, recasting Ginny Weasley, as well as finding its Dobby and Tom Riddle.
While Gracie Cochrane will appear as Ginny for Season 1, Bonnie Hill will take over the role beginning with Season 2 after her predecessor exited future seasons due to “unforeseen circumstances.”
Joining the Season 2 cast alongside Hill is Lenny Rush, who has been tapped to bring Dobby to life, as well as Billy Barratt, who will play Tom Riddle in the adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s second novel, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” in the HBO series.
They join Season 2 recruit Kit Harington, who signed on to play Gilderoy Lockhart after Nicholas Hoult exited the project due to scheduling conflicts.
After getting an early renewal from HBO ahead of its Christmas series launch, Season 2 is slated to begin filming this fall.
Hill’s credits include “The Six Triple Eight,” “Film Club” and “Girl Troop versus Aliens.” Rush can be seen in “Am I Being Unreasonable?” “Enola Holmes 2,” “Dodger,” “A Woman of Substance” and “Finding Father Christmas.”
Likewise, Barratt’s credits include “Bring Her Back,” “Kraven the Hunter,” “Blinded by the Light,” “Invasion,” “Gone” and “Storm Rider: Legend of Hammerhead.”’
The recasting for Ginny comes just over three months after news broke that Cochrane would be exiting the series, months before Season 1 was even slated to debut.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances Gracie has made the challenging decision to step away from her role as Ginny Weasley in the HBO ‘Harry Potter’ series after season one,” a statement from Cochrane and her family reads. “Her time as part of the ‘Harry Potter’ world has been truly wonderful, and she is deeply grateful to Lucy Bevan and the entire production team for creating such an unforgettable experience. Gracie is very excited about the opportunities her future holds.”
The series stars Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, with notable castings for the Hogwarts professors including John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.
Hill is represented by Northern Prep Squad Ltd. Rush is represented by Curtis Brown and Public Eye Communications. Barratt is represented by CAA, SYA, Ace MGMT and Stewart Brookman at Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller, Gellman, Meigs & Fox.
