HBO Names Lily and James Potter, Casts Charlie Weasley for Series

WHO:

Variety - Harry Gilby will play Charlie Weasley, Jasper Talbot will play James Potter, and Hannah Chinn will play Lily Potter in Season 1.

Deadline - James and Lily Potter are Harry Potter’s parents; Charlie Weasley is the second eldest son of Molly and Arthur Weasley, after Bill. Charlie’s siblings also include Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny.

Variety - The series stars Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, and Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy.

Variety - Other announced Season 1 cast members include Leo Earley, Elijah Oshin, Tristan Harland, Gabriel Harland, Ruari Spooner, Alessia Leoni, Sienna Moosah, Finn Stephens, William Nash, Warwick Davis, Sirine Saba, Daniel Rigby, Bel Powley, Paul Whitehouse, Johnny Flynn, Bertie Carvel, Luke Thallon, Katherine Parkinson, Amos Kitson, Gracie Cochrane, Richard Durden, Louise Brealey, Bríd Brennan, Leigh Gill, and Anton Lesser, playing characters from the books.

WHAT:

Variety - HBO’s “Harry Potter” series cast Gilby, Talbot, and Chinn for its first season, titled “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.”

Collider - The series has cast James Potter, Lily Potter, and Charlie Weasley ahead of its December 2026 premiere.

Screen Rant - HBO confirmed the James and Lily Potter casting along with Charlie Weasley’s casting.

Variety - Charlie is a minor character in the books and does not appear in the films; James and Lily appeared in the films through flashbacks, photographs, and magical manifestations.

Variety - The series’ logline says Harry’s Hogwarts admission letter opens “the door to a hidden world of magic, friendship and adventure,” where he must prove himself against “the darkest wizard of all.”

WHERE:

Variety - Season 2 is filming at Leavesden Studios outside London.

Variety - The series is produced for HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television.

WHEN:

Variety - Season 1 is scheduled to premiere on HBO on Dec. 25.

HOW:

Variety - Francesca Gardiner writes and executive produces the series; Mark Mylod executive produces and directs multiple episodes. Other executive producers named are J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley-Letts, David Heyman, Laura Neal, and Jon Brown.

(UPDATED October 27, 2026 13:21 UTC)

HBO has cast Harry Gilby as Charlie Weasley, Jasper Talbot as James Potter, and Hannah Chinn as Lily Potter for the first season of its “Harry Potter” series, titled “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.” James and Lily are Harry’s parents, while Charlie is one of the Weasley siblings; the series also stars Dominic McLaughlin as Harry, Arabella Stanton as Hermione, and Alastair Stout as Ron, alongside John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, and Nick Frost. The series is scheduled to premiere on HBO on Dec.