HBO’s new Hogwarts is already undergoing changes.
The upcoming Harry Potter television reboot will premiere in December with Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger.
They will be joined by John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid as HBO begins its planned seven-season adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s novels.
Unlike the original Warner Bros. movies, which adapted the books between 2001 and 2011, the HBO series intends to devote an entire season to each installment.
That means characters who had smaller roles in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone will become considerably more important as the series progresses.
Production is already preparing for that transition. Work has begun on Season 2, which will adapt Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, even before audiences have seen the reboot’s first season.
And HBO is now reshuffling and expanding its Hogwarts line-up accordingly.
‘Harry Potter’ Reboot Replaces Ginny Weasley
One of the biggest changes involves Ginny Weasley.
Gracie Cochrane portrays Ron’s younger sister during Season 1, but previously stepped away from the role due to “unforeseen circumstances.”
HBO has now cast Bonnie Hill as Ginny for Chamber of Secrets, meaning the character will have a different actor when she returns for the reboot’s second season.
Hill has previously appeared in Film Club, The Six Triple Eight, and children’s series Girl Troop versus Aliens.
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
The recasting comes just as Ginny becomes significantly more important to the story.
While she has only a limited presence during Harry’s first year at Hogwarts, Chamber of Secrets places Ginny directly at the center of the mystery threatening students throughout the school.
Hill is also replacing a character closely associated with another performer. Bonnie Wright played Ginny throughout the original Harry Potter film franchise, beginning with a small appearance in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
The HBO version is therefore undergoing two layers of change: a completely new cast compared to the movies and, in Ginny’s case, a replacement within the reboot itself.
She is not the only major Chamber of Secrets character now joining the series.
HBO Adds Dobby and a New Tom Riddle
Lenny Rush has been cast as Dobby, while Billy Barratt will play teenage Tom Riddle.
Dobby makes his first appearance in Chamber of Secrets, repeatedly attempting to stop Harry from returning to Hogwarts after learning that something dangerous is waiting for him at the school.
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
The character was voiced by Toby Jones throughout the original Warner Bros. franchise.
Rush already has credits including Doctor Who, Enola Holmes 2, and Am I Being Unreasonable? His performance in the latter earned him a BAFTA in 2023.
Barratt takes on an even more consequential role.
Tom Riddle appears through an enchanted diary discovered at Hogwarts, gradually revealing information about the Chamber of Secrets and his own history at the school.
The story eventually exposes Riddle as the younger identity of Lord Voldemort, making Barratt the reboot’s first confirmed actor portraying the Dark Lord in human form.
Christian Coulson played teenage Riddle in the original Chamber of Secrets movie.
Barratt previously won an International Emmy for Responsible Child and has appeared in Invasion, Kraven the Hunter, Crater, and Bring Her Back.
His casting also ends speculation surrounding Adolescence star Owen Cooper, who had previously been linked to the role. HBO never confirmed those reports.
One major Voldemort casting question remains unanswered.
Barratt will portray Riddle during his Hogwarts years, but HBO has still not revealed who will eventually play the adult Voldemort previously portrayed by Ralph Fiennes.
Paul Bettany and Tom Hiddleston are among the names that have been linked to the role, while Fiennes himself has revealed that he turned down a return as He Who Must Not Be Named.
Casting has been one of the most closely watched elements of HBO’s reboot since the project was announced.
The series has also faced broader controversy. Rowling remains attached as an executive producer despite continued backlash over her views on transgender issues.
Meanwhile, original Harry Potter director Chris Columbus has questioned the need to retell a story whose movie adaptation concluded only 15 years ago.
HBO is pressing ahead regardless, and its second season is already beginning to look noticeably different from its first.
With Ginny recast and new actors now confirmed for Dobby and Tom Riddle, another major section of the reboot’s Hogwarts line-up is finally falling into place.
The identity of its adult Voldemort, however, remains under wraps.
What do you think of the latest Harry Potter recasting news?
