Credit: Warner Bros.HBO’s reboot of Harry Potter hasn’t even aired its first season yet, but it’s already searching for a new lead for Season 2.
Having wrapped filming earlier this year, Season 1 of Harry Potter – officially titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, as is the first book’s original name – is set to debut over the holidays. This sees newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout step into the roles of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, taking over the franchise’s three most iconic roles after an extensive search across the UK and Ireland.
The supporting cast includes John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Snape, and Nick Frost as Hagrid. Additional cast members include Katherine Parkinson (Molly Weasley), Lox Pratt (Draco Malfoy), and Johnny Flynn (Lucius Malfoy).
Several characters that didn’t make the big screen the first time around – such as Charlie Weasley and Nicolas Flamel – are also expected to appear, with HBO stressing that the series will serve as a more faithful adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s novels.
The latest casting announcement for the series proves that this is indeed the case.
Hunt Underway for New Actor to Star in Season 2
According to Deadline, Harry Potter casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann have turned to agents in a hunt for a new young actor to play an important role in Season 2.
The character in question is Colin Creevey – a first-year Gryffindor student who fans know plays an important role in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Introduced as an enthusiastic Muggle-born wizard and one of Harry Potter’s biggest admirers, Colin becomes a familiar face around Hogwarts as, armed with his camera, he frequently follows Harry around in hopes of documenting his adventures. Colin later became one of the victims of the Basilisk attacks that plagued the school, surviving after being Petrified while looking through his camera lens.
The character appeared in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), where he was portrayed by Hugh Mitchell. Colin himself did not return in later films, though his name appeared on a Dumbledore’s Army list in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), and the film-only character Nigel Wolpert effectively filled the character’s role.
Colin’s role expanded significantly in the later books, with his younger brother Dennis also becoming a recurring character.
Both boys joined Dumbledore’s Army in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and remained loyal supporters of Harry throughout the Second Wizarding War. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Colin secretly returned to Hogwarts to fight in the Battle of Hogwarts despite being underage. He was later found dead after the battle, making him one of the war’s youngest and most tragic casualties.
Considering the reboot’s commitment to accuracy, it seems likely that whoever steps into the role of Colin will need to be prepared to play out the character’s full storyline this time around.
HBO Seeking More Actors for ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’
Colin Creevey isn’t the only role HBO’s casting directors need to fill before Season 2 starts filming later this year.
In May, it was confirmed that actress Gracie Cochrane, who plays Ginny Weasley in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, will not return for Season 2.
Like Colin, Ginny plays an important role in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The youngest Weasley sibling becomes the central figure in the novel after unknowingly falling under the influence of Tom Riddle’s diary. Manipulated into reopening the Chamber, Ginny is eventually taken inside by the memory of Riddle, prompting Harry’s climactic rescue and the destruction of what is, unbeknownst to him, a Horcrux.
Another important role for Season 2 is Tom Riddle himself. The younger version of Lord Voldemort (whose casting also remains secret for now) appears through a magical diary that allows Harry to interact with a preserved memory of the future Dark Lord during his time at Hogwarts. Riddle ultimately reveals himself as the force behind the reopening of the Chamber of Secrets and the attacks on students.
Rumors have linked the young Voldemort role to Owen Cooper, the breakout star of Netflix’s Adolescence. The speculation began after fans noticed several young Harry Potter cast members following Cooper on social media, leading some to believe he may have already been cast.
Neither HBO nor Cooper has confirmed the reports, but many fans believe the young actor – who recently starred as the younger version of Jacob Elordi’s Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights – would be a strong fit for the charismatic and unsettling young Voldemort.
As for adult Voldemort, who will play a small but key role in the show’s first season, rumored names include a slew of Marvel alumni, including Paul Bettany, Tom Hiddleston, and Tilda Swinton.
Which character are you most excited to see in HBO’s Harry Potter reboot?
