Just before the end of the year, Warner Bros. and HBO will return to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter with the release of Season 1 of the new Harry Potter series on HBO. Named Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the title originally used for the UK release of the first book in the series, Season 1 will start the titular hero’s story as he gets his acceptance letter for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Following Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson’s run in the original eight movies, the new cast of stars is led by Dominic McLaughlin (Harry Potter), Alastair Stout (Ron Weasley), and Arabella Stanton (Hermione Granger). In May 2026, HBO confirmed a Season 2 renewal for Harry Potter, almost eight months before Season 1 makes its debut during the holiday season. The second installment will adapt the Chamber of Secrets novel, throwing Harry and his friends into Hogwarts’ dark mysteries and pitting them against a hidden monster that threatens to kill anyone in its path. It will also introduce a few new characters who were either absent or barely utilized in the first part of the story. However, one of them is now moving fast towards a recast. According to a listing by Cast It Talent, HBO put out a call for new actors to audition for the role of Ginny Weasley in Season 2 of the Harry Potter TV show. The casting is for children aged 10-12 who are UK residents, and the call asks for two videos: one showing them reading a poem or story of their choosing, and another telling the casting department about themselves. This comes after it was officially announced in May 2026 that original Ginny actress Gracie Cochrane had exited the series after filming Season 1.

Ginny only plays a small role in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, showing up in the scene in which Harry first boards the train to Hogwarts. Here, he runs into the entire Weasley family at King’s Cross station as Percy, Fred, George, and Ron get set to head to school. Considering Ginny is not yet old enough to start at Hogwarts, she stays behind with her mother, Molly, before Harry accesses Platform 9 3/4 for the first time. In Chamber of Secrets, Ginny gets to join the rest of her family at Hogwarts for her first year, quickly learning of the dangers of the magical world. She is eventually possessed by Voldemort’s preserved teenage soul inside a diary, being manipulated into opening the Chamber of Secrets and unleashing the deadly Basilisk. She then goes on to become Harry’s love interest, which is expected to be explored in later seasons, should the series deliver its expected seven-season slate.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone will premiere on HBO on Dec. 25, 2026.

Release Date

2026 – 2026

Showrunner

Francisca Gardiner

Directors

Mark Mylod