HBO's Harry Potter Reveals New Dobby and Young Voldemort Replacements
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is taking a different approach to the Malfoy's house-elf
Three months before HBO's new adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone premieres, there's a new round of casting for the television show's second season — presumably titled Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. That includes HBO's new Dobby and Tom Riddle, and a recasting of Ginny Weasley for Harry Potter season 2.
At the top of the list is HBO's new Tom Riddle, also known as the young Lord Voldemort, who will be played by Billy Barratt in the reimagined Harry Potter television series.
The new cast of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
19-year-old Barratt is best known for his work on Apple TV's Invasion and the horror movie Bring Her Back. Barratt will also star as Nathan Prescott in the Life Is Strange television series adaptation of the game franchise. He's also the youngest winner of the International Emmy Award for Best Actor for his role in the BBC TV film Responsible Child. Barratt will take over the role of Tom Riddle from actor Christian Coulson, who portrayed the younger Voldemort in 2002's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Actor Lenny Rush has been cast as Dobby the house-elf in season 2 of Harry Potter. 17-year-old Rush is best known for his work on the comedy-drama series Am I Being Unreasonable?, which won him a British Academy Television Award for Best Male Comedy Performance. Dobby was voiced by Toby Jones in the Harry Potter film series, and the house-elf was completely CGI-generated.
Bonnie Hill will take over the role of Ron Weasley's sister Ginny in season 2. Gracie Cochrane plays Ginny in season 1 of Harry Potter. Hill previously starred in Netflix's The Six Triple Eight and in Girl Troop vs Aliens (where she also played a character named Ginny). Ginny Weasley was played by Bonnie Wright in the Harry Potter film franchise.
Harry Potter's new actors join another newcomer to the show, Game of Thrones' Kit Harington, who is set to play Gilderoy Lockhart. That role was portrayed by Kenneth Branagh in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Who else is starring in Harry Potter?
HBO has assembled an all-new cast, starting with young lead actors Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. They'll be supported by 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, Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Elijah Oshin as Dean Thomas, Tristan Harland as Fred Weasley, Gabriel Harland as George Weasley, Ruari Spooner as Percy Weasley, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, Finn Stephens as Vincent Crabbe, William Nash as Gregory Goyle, Warwick Davis as Filius Flitwick, and Sirine Saba as Pomona Sprout.
The robust cast also includes Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley, Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley, Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Gracie Cochrane as Ginny Weasley, Richard Durden as Cuthbert Binns, Louise Brealey as Rolanda Hooch, Bríd Brennan as Poppy Pomfrey, Leigh Gill as Griphook, and Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone will premiere on HBO on Dec. 25.