Gracie Cochrane, the young actress cast as Ginny Weasley in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV series, will not be returning for season 2, her family has confirmed.
Cochrane was due to make her first appearance when the show premieres in December 2026, portraying the youngest of the Weasley siblings in the new adaptation of JK Rowling’s novels.
But the actor will exit after season 1 because of “unforeseen circumstances”, meaning producers will need to recast the role ahead of Ginny’s expanded storyline in the second season.
In a statement, Cochrane and her family said she ‘made the challenging decision to step away from her role as Ginny Weasley in the HBO Harry Potter series after season 1,’ citing ‘unforeseen circumstances.’
“Her time as part of the Harry Potter world has been truly wonderful, and she is deeply grateful to Lucy Bevan and the entire production team for creating such an unforgettable experience,” the statement continued.
“Gracie is very excited about the opportunities her future holds.”
HBO also addressed the change, saying: “We support Gracie Cochrane and her family’s decision not to return for the next season of HBO’s Harry Potter series, and we are grateful for her work on season 1 of the show.
“We wish Gracie and her family the best.”
Season 1 of the series is set to adapt the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (released in the US as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone), with following seasons expected to cover each of the seven books in order.
While Ginny’s presence in the first story is relatively limited, she becomes central to the plot in the follow-up, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, so whoever replaces Cochrane will be stepping into a significantly larger part.
The cast combines familiar names with newcomers, including Dominic McLaughlin in the lead role.
He is set to star alongside Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, and Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy. Additional confirmed cast includes John Lithgow, Paapa Essiedu, Nick Frost, and Katherine Parkinson.
Interest in the project has reportedly been strong enough that the series has already secured a second season renewal, even though the first run is still months away from release.
The Harry Potter series is scheduled to arrive on HBO at Christmas 2026.