Big movement over at HBO’s Harry Potter reboot, and it’s the kind of news that has fans refreshing their feeds every time a new name drops. Three fresh castings just landed for Season 2, which is set to tackle Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and sources close to production say this book is proving way more complicated to bring to screen than anyone expected. There’s a villain getting a full personality rewrite, a casting exit nobody’s fully explaining, and now word of a delay that’s got crew members sweating their paychecks.
Here’s everything that just went down.
The New Faces Locking In
Rafe Spall, who fans will recognize from Trying and Life of Pi, has officially signed on to play Arthur Weasley, the Weasley family patriarch and Ron’s dad. Joining him is Molly Hewitt-Richards, of Code of Silence and Casualty fame, who’s stepping into the role of Moaning Myrtle, the ghost who never left Hogwarts and never stopped complaining about it. Rounding things out is Jasper Ambrose, previously seen in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy and The Sheep Detectives, who’s landed the part of Colin Creevey, Harry’s number one fan with a camera glued to his hand.
For the record, Mark Williams played Arthur in the original films, Shirley Henderson was Myrtle, and Hugh Mitchell was Creevey. Big shoes to fill, and the internet already has opinions.
This trio joins an already stacked lineup of new additions. Kit Harington is now playing Gilderoy Lockhart, taking over from Nicholas Hoult. Bonnie Hill has stepped in as Ginny Weasley after original cast member Gracie Cochrane quietly exited the project, with HBO only citing “unforeseen circumstances” and offering nothing else. Lenny Rush is voicing Dobby, and Billy Barratt is playing a teenage Tom Riddle. Season 1 leads Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout are all confirmed to return as Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
For a first look at all 3 characters, Variety has shared their headshots on X.
Jasper Ambrose has been cast as Colin Creevey in HBO’s “Harry Potter” Season 2 (“Chamber of Secrets”).
Jasper Ambrose has been cast as Colin Creevey in HBO’s “Harry Potter” Season 2 (“Chamber of Secrets”).https://t.co/Ow0jgEC6zr pic.twitter.com/RUOGp2BY6Y
— Variety (@Variety) September 15, 2026
Molly Hewitt-Richards has been cast as Moaning Myrtle in HBO’s “Harry Potter” Season 2 (“Chamber of Secrets”).
Molly Hewitt-Richards has been cast as Moaning Myrtle in HBO’s “Harry Potter” Season 2 (“Chamber of Secrets”).https://t.co/Ow0jgEC6zr pic.twitter.com/FCZ2qB3NYv
— Variety (@Variety) September 15, 2026
Rafe Spall has been cast as Arthur Weasley in HBO’s “Harry Potter” Season 2 (“Chamber of Secrets”).
Rafe Spall has been cast as Arthur Weasley in HBO’s “Harry Potter” Season 2 (“Chamber of Secrets”).https://t.co/Ow0jgEC6zr pic.twitter.com/0c1EwWE6Z2
— Variety (@Variety) September 15, 2026
Everyone’s Talking About the New Lucius Malfoy
If there’s one casting choice generating the most buzz right now, it’s Johnny Flynn taking over Lucius Malfoy from Jason Isaacs. The show is bringing Lucius into the story earlier than the books or films ever did, giving him more screen time to build out his relationship with Draco before Chamber of Secrets kicks off.
Flynn opened up about his take on the character in a sit down with Radio Times, and it’s safe to say it’s not the Lucius people remember.
“He was one of those kids bullied in his school, and he’s now turned into the bully, so he doesn’t know another way,” Flynn said. “That’s how I want to play him, because I know those people quite well. On the one hand, they were the people who bullied me, they were the abusers, but at some point, they were the abused. So, nobody’s outright good or bad in the world.”
Not everyone’s buying it. Screen Rant called out the reasoning directly, arguing it doesn’t line up with the source material at all.
“Canonically, Lucius was never bullied, and his coldness and cruelty came from his family and upbringing, not how he was treated at school. Lucius came from a respectable family of wizards who believed in pure-blood values and wizards’ superiority, thus looking down on Muggle-born witches and wizards and Muggles in general.”
Whether Flynn’s version wins people over once the season drops is anyone’s guess. Right now, it’s split the fandom right down the middle.
Word Is Filming Just Got Pushed Back
Here’s where it gets messy. Filming for Season 2 was originally supposed to kick off in August. That’s no longer happening. According to reports, Warner Bros. bosses sent early scripts back to the drawing board over issues with plot and character work, and the new start date has slipped to October.
A source close to production told The Sun exactly how bad it’s gotten behind the scenes. “Filming for series two was meant to start in August. We had dates to start filming, but the scripts have not been finished,” the insider said. “The cost implications are huge.” The same source revealed that a chunk of the crew has already been stood down while the rewrites drag on, leaving people without work and without pay in the meantime.
This comes after HBO and Max content chairman Casey Bloys already warned fans not to expect quick turnarounds between seasons. “For some of the bigger shows like Harry Potter or House of the Dragon, or The Last of Us, huge world-building shows, it would be nice to have those on an annual basis,” he told The Hollywood Reporter, “but from a production point of view, it’s just not possible.” Even with that warning already out there, 2028 was the earliest anyone was predicting for Season 2. Now it’s looking even further out.
Sounds Like Patience Is the Real Story Here
Between the fresh casting, a reworked villain splitting opinions, and a production timeline that keeps slipping, Season 2 is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched follow ups in recent TV memory. Nobody outside the production knows exactly how long the delay will actually push things back, but insiders seem to agree the priority right now is getting Chamber of Secrets right rather than rushing it out the door.
Got a take on any of this? Sound off below, we want to hear whether the fandom is here for the new direction or side eyeing every single change.
