HBO has announced a few new castings for Season 2 of its upcoming “Harry Potter” series.

Dobby will be played by Lenny Rush, Ginny Weasley will be played by Bonnie Hill and Tom Riddle will be portrayed by Billy Barratt. Hill will replace Gracie Cochrane, who portrays Ginny Weasley in Season 1 but exited the role “due to unforeseen circumstances.”

The first season of the “Harry Potter” TV show has wrapped and will premiere on HBO on Dec. 25. The second season, which will be based on the second book of J.K. Rowling’s beloved fantasy series, is currently in pre-production at Leavesden Studios outside London.

For the few who haven’t read the books or seen the movies, HBO’s “Harry Potter” logline reads: “There is nothing special about Harry Potter — or so his Aunt Petunia tells him. But when a mysterious letter of admission to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry arrives, it opens the door to a hidden world of magic, friendship and adventure. Yet behind Hogwarts’ enchanted walls lie dark secrets. Harry must find the courage to prove himself against the darkest wizard of all.”

Dominic McLaughlin will lead the small screen adaptation as The Boy Who Lived, while Arabella Stanton is playing Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout is Ron Weasley. Rounding out the cast are John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom and Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, plus dozens of other actors playing familiar characters.

The “Harry Potter” show is based on Rowling’s books and is written and executive produced by Francesca Gardiner. Mark Mylod will executive produce and direct multiple episodes of the series for HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. The series is executive produced by Rowling, Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, as well as David Heyman of Heyday Films.

Source: Variety Australia

--Agencies