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More members of the Wizarding World have been cast in HBO’s Harry Potter series.

The network has announced that Bonnie Hill, Billy Barratt and Lenny Rush have joined the season 2 cast of the upcoming series.

Hill takes over the role of Ginny Weasley moving forward. The character will be played by Gracie Cochrane in season 1 of the show. ABC Audio confirmed in May that Cochrane will not return to play the character in season 2 of the show.

At the time, Cochrane and her family released a statement regarding her decision to exit the series.

“Due to unforeseen circumstances Gracie has made the challenging decision to step away from her role as Ginny Weasley in the HBO Harry Potter series after season one,” the statement reads. “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. Gracie is very excited about the opportunities her future holds.”

Barratt joins the series in the role of Tom Riddle, while Rush will take on the part of the house-elf Dobby.

“The Chamber of Secrets has been opened,” HBO Max captioned a casting announcement Instagram post.

The new actors join the previously announced Kit Harington, who is set to play Gilderoy Lockhart in season 2.

HBO renewed its Harry Potter series for season 2 on May 6. The renewal announcement arrived months ahead of the debut of the show’s first season.

Dominic McLaughlin leads the cast as Harry Potter. He stars alongside Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton, who play Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The show is described as a faithful adaptation of the books by J.K. Rowling, who serves as an executive producer.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone will air on HBO and debut on HBO Max on Christmas Day 2026. Season 2 is set to begin production in fall 2026.

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Dave Bautista is preparing to take over the role of Kratos in God of War.

The actor took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a video of himself training to take on the lead role in Prime Video’s video game TV adaptation.

Prime Video confirmed to ABC Audio in July that it decided to recast the role of Kratos after its original actor, Ryan Hurst, was seriously injured while on set of the series in late June. Hurst tore a bicep while performing a stunt on the show.

Bautista is the actor taking over the part, and his video shows him in the gym training for the role.

“3rd week in to weight training again. 2 more months to get to where I need to be. Like ridin a bike! LFG!” Bautista wrote.

The video finds Bautista showing off his physique for the camera. He takes off his shirt and ends the video in Kratos’ signature pose.

While recovery time for Hurst’s injury is unclear, it would likely not have been safe for him to resume filming until 2027. This led to the decision for Bautista to take over the part. Additionally, the show’s co-lead, Atreus, is played by child actor Callum Vinson. Much of the existing footage will need to be reshot as Vinson is growing and changing.

Production started on God of War back in February. It’s based on the popular ancient mythology-themed Playstation video game and has already received a two-season order from the streamer.

The storyline for the upcoming series follows “father and son Kratos and Atreus as they embark on a journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye,” according to an official synopsis from Prime Video. “Through their adventures, Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god, while Atreus tries to teach his father how to be a better human.”

Also starring in the show are Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Ed Skrein as Baldur, Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Teresa Palmer as Sif, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Jeff Gulka as Sindri and Danny Woodburn as Brok.

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Disney star Carla Jeffery has died, according to a statement shared on her official Instagram by her talent management company. She was 33.

The actress was known for her role in the Zombies franchise.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our beloved Carla Jeffery, who passed away on September 1, 2026, at just 33 years old,” Carla Alexander of Alexanders Talent Management wrote in the statement.

Alexander went on, “Carla joined the Alexanders Talent Management family at the age of 12. For more than 20 years, we had the privilege of watching her grow into a beautiful, vibrant, and incredibly talented woman whose radiant smile could light up any room.”

She added that Jeffery was “more than a client; she was family.”

“Our hearts are with Carla’s family and loved ones during this devastating time,” Alexander continued. “We respectfully ask that their privacy be honored as they grieve this unimaginable loss. Rest beautifully, Carla. Your light will never be forgotten.”

ABC News has reached out to Jeffery’s rep.

Details about the actress’s death have not been revealed.

In a statement, Disney Entertainment Television said: “Carla Jeffery’s extraordinary talent, warmth and spirit left an indelible mark on everyone who had the privilege of working with her. She had a rare gift for connecting with audiences, and her performances brought joy to millions. We will remember Carla for her generosity, her humor and the genuine light she brought to those around her. We offer our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones, her castmates and collaborators, and the countless fans whose lives she touched.”

Many across Hollywood and beyond, including her fellow Disney stars, took to the comments section of the post, sharing their disbelief over the news.

“Carla. The sweetest person I have ever met. I love you,” Jeffery’s Zombies co-star Milo Manheim commented.

Chandler Kinney, who starred in Zombies 2 and Zombies 3 with Jeffery, wrote, “[T]he brightest shining light in any room she walked into. the kindest person you’d ever meet. the most beautiful soul. this doesn’t feel real.”

Born on July 10, 1993, in Houston, Texas, Jeffery’s first film role was in the 2006 film Phat Girlz.

She had a role on Nickelodeon’s iCarly in 2008 and also portrayed Keysha Black in the television series Curb Your Enthusiasm.

In 2011, she appeared on Disney Channel’s Good Luck Charlie, and appeared on Shake It Up the following year.

After appearing on several more shows, including Scream Queens and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, she landed the role of Bree in the first Zombies film in 2018.

She went on to star in Zombies 2 and Zombies 3, as well as voicing Bree in several Zombies re-animated shorts.

ABC News’ Juwon Funes contributed to this report.

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Battinson may be back, but he’s feeling his age.

Robert Pattinson is currently filming the long-awaited superhero sequel The Batman Part II. The actor celebrated his 40th birthday a month before filming started on the project in London this June. He told GQ in a recent interview that making an action movie feels different at 40.

“I’m in London here till the end of the year doing a Batman sequel,” Pattinson said. “It’s good. I’m definitely feeling my age when fighting a lot. I’m literally like, ‘G******, this is significantly harder than it used to be.’”

The actor said even though making the movie is harder, it’s still “really fun” to do.

“I think the movie’s going to be pretty great. It’s got a really, really fun cast, but it’s a marathon,” Pattinson said.

The cast of The Batman Part II includes franchise newcomers and A-listers Scarlett Johansson and Sebastian Stan, whose roles have yet to be announced. Charles Dance, Brian Tyree Henry and Sebastian Koch also star in the Matt Reeves-directed movie.

The Batman Part II is set to open in theaters on Feb. 18, 2028. It has been delayed multiple times. The film was first scheduled to open on Oct. 2, 2026, before it was delayed to Oct. 1, 2027.

Reeves announced the most recent release date change in a video he posted to Vimeo on July 15. The video also features the first camera test footage of Pattinson back in costume as the caped crusader.

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East of Eden has its first full-length trailer.

The new limited series adaptation of John Steinbeck’s classic novel stars Florence Pugh as Cathy Ames, whose life becomes “intertwined with the lives of generations of men from the Trask family — notably those of Adam (Christopher Abbott) and Charles (Mike Faist).”

Throughout the trailer we hear Cathy’s narration as she muses on the evils of the world. “Evil is not always apparent at first glance,” she says. “It can come cloaked in goodness, or beauty, or love. The heart of our oldest stories.”

We see Adam immediately taken with Cathy, but his brother Charles is wary. “A girl like that doesn’t just fall out of the sky,” Charles warns. “She’s going to tear you to pieces, and I don’t want to watch it.”

The story later follows Cathy and Adam’s twin boys, Cal Trask, played by Joseph Zada, and Aron Trask, played by Joe Anders.

The seven-episode series is directed by Zoe Kazan, the granddaughter of director Elia Kazan, who previously adapted the novel into a 1955 film that launched the career of James Dean.

East of Eden debuts on Netflix Oct. 1.

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