Culture 4 min read By Trevor Kendall
HBO's Harry Potter Series Casts Rafe Spall as Arthur Weasley for Season 2
Rafe Spall joins HBO's Harry Potter television series as Arthur Weasley, with Molly Hewitt-Richards and Jasper Ambrose also cast as Moaning Myrtle and Colin Creevey. Filming is underway at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden.
HBO's Harry Potter television series has found its Arthur Weasley. British actor Rafe Spall will play the beloved Weasley patriarch in the show's second season, the network confirmed, adding three new names to a cast that is steadily taking shape as production continues in the United Kingdom.
Spall, known for his work in The Big Short, Life of Pi, and the Apple TV+ series Trying, takes on the role of the Ministry of Magic employee and father of seven who becomes a surrogate guardian to Harry Potter. The character was previously played by Mark Williams across the original Warner Bros. film franchise, which ran from 2001 to 2011.
Joining Spall in the Season 2 cast are Molly Hewitt-Richards as Moaning Myrtle, the ghost who haunts the girls' bathroom at Hogwarts, and Jasper Ambrose as Colin Creevey, the enthusiastic Gryffindor student and amateur photographer. The trio will appear alongside the series' established ensemble as the show moves deeper into the events of J.K. Rowling's seven-book saga.
Filming is currently underway at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the UK, the same facility where the original Harry Potter films were produced. The production has become a major source of casting news in recent months, with each new announcement drawing attention from the franchise's global fanbase.
Moaning Myrtle, whose real name is Myrtle Warren, is a Ravenclaw student who was killed by the basilisk housed in the Chamber of Secrets. The character became a fan favorite in the film series through Shirley Henderson's performance in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Colin Creevey, a Muggle-born Gryffindor, first appears in Chamber of Secrets and is known for his relentless documentation of Harry's daily life at Hogwarts.
Arthur Weasley is a central figure in the franchise, serving as the head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office at the Ministry of Magic. His fascination with Muggle culture and his role as a moral anchor for Harry have made him one of the most recognizable characters in the series.
The HBO adaptation is expected to span multiple seasons, with each installment covering one of the seven books. Season 1 is set to adapt Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, while Season 2 will move into Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the story in which Arthur Weasley, Moaning Myrtle, and Colin Creevey all play significant roles.
The series represents one of HBO's most ambitious television projects, carrying the weight of a franchise that has generated billions of dollars in box office revenue, merchandise, and theme park attractions worldwide. Casting decisions have been closely watched by fans eager to see how the new adaptation differentiates itself from the films while remaining faithful to the source material.
Spall's casting in particular has generated significant online interest, with the actor's name trending in the United States following the announcement. His addition to the series brings a seasoned dramatic and comedic performer to a role that requires both warmth and a touch of eccentricity.
HBO has not yet announced a premiere date for Season 2. The first season of the Harry Potter series is expected to debut before the second season enters post-production, with the network positioning the franchise as a cornerstone of its long-term streaming strategy.
