Harry Gilby joins as Charlie Weasley, and season two is already filming at Leavesden Studios.
HBO has cast Jasper Talbot and Hannah Chinn as James and Lily Potter, the parents of the titular wizard, in its Harry Potter series. The studio shared the news on Tuesday, and Harry Gilby has also joined the cast as Charlie Weasley.
Jasper Talbot, a Broadchurch alum, and Hannah Chinn, known for Domina, will play the couple whose standoff with the Dark Lord sets the books' events in motion. Harry Gilby, best known for The Last Kingdom and Boarders, takes the role of Charlie Weasley. The actors will appear in Season 1, which is dubbed Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
According to the first novel, Voldemort killed James and Lily Potter. Lily sacrificed her life to protect baby Harry with a love shield. When Voldemort's evil curse hit the Potters, it bounced off Harry and struck Voldemort instead, leaving his physical form nonexistent and his powers pretty useless. Harry bore a scar shaped like a lightning bolt on his brow.
Harry's parents had only a minor presence in the successful movie adaptations. Variety notes they appeared in flashbacks, photographs and magical manifestations, while Deadline says it is unknown how big a role they will play in the new HBO series. TheWrap says they are killed off at the start of Philosopher's Stone, but still play a key part in Harry's journey at Hogwarts: he spots Lily and James in the Mirror of Erised, which is crucial to his fight against Voldemort.
Gilby will play Charlie, Molly and Arthur Weasley's second-oldest son, with Bill the eldest. Variety points out that Charlie is a minor character in the books and does not appear in the films, so the series is straying from the movies on this point. TheWrap describes him as a dragonologist who works in Romania.
The Season 1 logline sets up Harry's world: there is nothing special about him, according to his Aunt Petunia, until a letter of admission to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry arrives. The logline ends: "Harry must find the courage to prove himself against the darkest wizard of all."
Kit Harington, a Game of Thrones star, joins Season 2 as Gilderoy Lockhart, alongside Bonnie Hill as Ginny Weasley, Lenny Rush as Dobby, Billy Barratt as Tom Riddle, Rafe Spall as Arthur Weasley, Molly Hewitt-Richards as Moaning Myrtle and Jasper Ambrose as Colin Creevey.
Francesca Gardiner writes and executive produces the series. For HBO, Mark Mylod will both executive produce and direct several episodes, working with Warner Bros. Television and Brontë Film and TV. J.K. Rowling is also an executive producer.
HBO renewed the series early, months before its Christmas launch, and the first season premieres on HBO on Dec. 25.
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