HBO has filled three more key roles for the second season of its Harry Potter TV series, casting Billy Barratt as Tom Riddle, Lenny Rush as Dobby and Bonnie Hill as Ginny Weasley. Barratt is the first actor named for the young version of Voldemort in the new adaptation.
The casting lands now because the series is moving deeper into its second season, and the new names sharpen what viewers can expect to see next. Hill steps in after Gracie Cochrane stepped away from Ginny Weasley after season one, leaving HBO to recast one of the story’s most familiar roles before the next run begins in earnest.
Barratt brings a notable pedigree to the part. He became the youngest winner of the International Emmy Award for best actor at age 13 for Responsible Child, a credit that adds weight to a role built around a character whose name carries more history than almost any other in Harry Potter. The series is based on J.K. Rowling’s books, with Dominic McLaughlin playing Harry Potter and Francesca Gardiner writing and executive producing.
There is still one gap that HBO has not closed: Barratt is the first actor cast as Voldemort in the new adaptation, but the grown-up version of the character has not yet been revealed. That leaves the production with its youngest form of the wizard in place, while the face of the older one remains offstage for now.
HBO also released a new trailer for the series, which is tied to Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and the second season is shaping up around a clearer cast. Mark Mylod will executive produce and direct multiple episodes for HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television, but the casting of Voldemort’s adult counterpart is the next piece viewers will be watching for.
