HBO has revealed three new cast members for its highly anticipated Harry Potter TV series reboot, writes Film News Blitz’s Lucy Eason.
Harry Gilby, Jasper Talbot and Hannah Chinn have joined the cast as Charlie Weasley, James Potter and Lily Potter, respectively.
In particular, Gilby’s casting as Charlie Weasley, the older brother of Harry’s best friend Ron, has caused a stir online.
Fans are excited to see Charlie on screen for the first time.
Despite being mentioned several times in the books, the second-eldest Weasley sibling never appears in person in the film series.
A new Weasley family member
However, Charlie Weasley does make a fleeting appearance in the films.
In the third instalment, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, he is briefly seen in a family photograph alongside the rest of the Weasley siblings.
Actor Alex Crockford, who played Charlie in this scene, which lasts just over a second, took to social media to congratulate his successor, saying:
“Congratulations, sir, and I hope you get more screen time than I did (the record to beat is 1.5 seconds!) #jenesuispascharlieanymore.”
Experienced actors
Gilby is best known for his portrayal of a young J.R.R. Tolkien in the 2019 film Tolkien, as well as his role as Aethelstan in BBC’s The Last Kingdom.
Chinn, who will be playing Harry’s mother, Lily, also has credits in several well-known film projects, including The Conjuring: Last Rites and the Sky Original supernatural thriller series Possession.
Meanwhile, Talbot, who is set to portray Harry’s father, James, is a recent graduate from London’s prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
He also briefly appeared as a child actor in the third season of ITV’s hit crime drama Broadchurch.
While Harry is already orphaned by the time the book series begins, his parents appear several times in the film series through flashbacks, photographs and magical manifestations.
The upcoming series
The three new additions to the cast will appear in the first season of the TV series, which is based on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first instalment in the original book series.
The storyline will follow the titular character’s journey as he discovers his magical abilities and faces off against his nemesis Lord Voldemort for the first time.
Gilby, Talbot and Chinn join a star-studded cast for the TV adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s beloved children’s book series.
This includes Game of Thrones favourite Kit Harington, starring as Gilderoy Lockhart in season two of the series, and Warwick Davis, reprising his original role as the charms professor, Filius Flitwick.
Season one of the Harry Potter TV series is set to premiere worldwide on HBO and HBO Max on 25 December.
The second season, an adaptation of the second book in the series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, is currently being filmed at Leavesden Studios just outside London.
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