HBO has announced four new casting additions for season two of the Harry Potter HBO TV series, which has begun filming. Rafe Spall (Arthur Weasley), Molly Hewitt-Richards (Moaning Myrtle), Billy Barratt (Tom Riddle) and Lenny Rush (Dobby) join Kit Harington in the expanding Chamber of Secrets lineup.
Rafe Spall (Arthur Weasley)
Rafe Spall will play the Weasley patriarch Arthur Weasley, joining Katherine Parkinson, who plays Molly Weasley in season one. Spall, known for roles in Prometheus and Life of Pi, is the son of actor Timothy Spall, who played Peter Pettigrew in the Harry Potter film series. Mark Williams played Arthur Weasley in the film series, beginning with Chamber of Secrets in 2002.
Molly Hewitt-Richards (Moaning Myrtle)
Molly Hewitt-Richards will play Hogwarts ghost Moaning Myrtle. On Instagram, Hewitt-Richards said of her casting, ‘I understand the significance and responsibilities of being part of this world. I hope I can use my little part to spread love for all witches and wizards … Big love, Myrtle Elizabeth Warren.’ Actress Shirley Henderson played Myrtle in Chamber of Secrets (2002) and Goblet of Fire (2005). Henderson was 37 when she auditioned to play a 14-year-old Myrtle in the second ‘Potter’ film.
Billy Barratt (Tom Riddle)
Billy Barratt will play school-aged Tom Riddle (alias Lord Voldemort). Christian Coulson played Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets film. Although he expressed a keen interest in returning in Half-Blood Prince (2009), Coulson was considered too old. Hero Fiennes Tiffin (Riddle aged 11) and Frank Dillane (Riddle aged 16) played Riddle in flashback sequences during that film.
Lenny Rush (Dobby)
Lenny Rush, known for his roles in Am I Being Unreasonable? and Doctor Who, will play Dobby the house-elf. It’s unknown at this stage whether Rush will provide motion capture acting as well as voice work. Toby Jones voiced the house-elf in Chamber of Secrets and Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010); Dobby was otherwise an entirely CGI character.
The first season of the HBO Harry Potter TV series, an eight-episode adaptation of Philosopher’s Stone, begins airing on Christmas Day. Chamber of Secrets is now filming for a release in either 2027 or 2028.
