Ginny Weasley Recast After Child Actor Exits

The child actor supposed to be playing Ginny Weasley in the upcoming series has had to drop out of the project.

has been forced to recast the role after the first series following Gracie Cochrane's decision to pull out due to 'unforeseen circumstances'.

The young actress will be seen as Ginny in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone later this year when launches at , won't be returning as Ron's little sister for the Chamber of Secrets, which will be the second season.

Gracie's family said in a statement: '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.

'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.'

HBO has voiced their support for Gracie and her family's choice.

They added: '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 one of the show.

'We wish Gracie and her family the best.'

Filming for the first season has already been complete, and the character of Ginny only has a minor role in JK Rowling's first book in the series.

She appears with her mother Molly at Kings Cross station in London as her older siblings board the train to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and is seen again when they returned at the end of the school term.

However, the character is much more prominent in the second book, Chamber of Secrets, when she plays a pivotal role in the secret room being opened.

In a statement, showrunner Francesca Gardiner recently confirmed production for the second season will begin 'this autumn', with Jon Brown promoted to co-showrunner.

The duo worked together on Succession and have collaborated on the Philosopher's Stone, and now Brown will have an increased role.

Gardiner said: 'As we have laid out our plans for the overlapping production schedules to finish Season 1 by Christmas and to return to production for Season 2 this autumn, it has become clear that bringing on a co-showrunner is the key to maintaining our momentum.

'I've loved working with Jon from the very first day we met on Succession through to these recent times together on Harry Potter.