HBO's Harry Potter Casts Hannah Chinn and Jasper Talbot as Lily and James Potter

HBO's Harry Potter series has cast the parents of the boy who lived. Hannah Chinn will play Lily Potter and Jasper Talbot will play James Potter, Variety reported on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

Harry Gilby has also joined the cast as Charlie Weasley, a character who appears in the books but never made it into the Warner Bros. films. All three actors will appear in Season 1, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, according to Variety.

Harry's Parents Come Into Focus

James and Lily Potter are central to the story even though they are gone before it begins. In J.K. Rowling's books, they are killed when Harry is a baby, leaving him to be raised by his aunt and uncle, the Dursleys.

In the film series, the couple appeared in flashbacks, photographs and magical manifestations, Variety noted. Casting dedicated actors in the roles suggests the series has room to show more of them, though HBO has not detailed how large the parts will be.

Charlie Weasley Makes His Screen Debut

The addition of Gilby marks a clear departure from the films. Charlie is one of Ron's older brothers, and in the books he works with dragons in Romania. Because he was left out of the movies, Variety described the casting as the series straying from the films in its treatment of Ron's family.

Gilby joins a large Weasley household already filled out by Alastair Stout as Ron, Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Tristan Harland and Gabriel Harland as Fred and George, Ruari Spooner as Percy and Gracie Cochrane as Ginny.

What Season 1 Is About

HBO's official logline for the first season, as reported by Variety, begins with a familiar idea: there is nothing special about Harry Potter, or so his Aunt Petunia tells him. A mysterious letter of admission to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry then opens the door to a hidden world of magic, friendship and adventure, along with dark secrets inside the castle walls.

The first season premieres on HBO on Dec. 25. Season 2, based on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, is currently filming at Leavesden Studios outside London.

A Cast Built Around a New Trio

Dominic McLaughlin leads the series as Harry, with Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Stout as Ron. The adult cast includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.

Other previously announced players include the following.

Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy and Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy.

Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby as Petunia and Vernon Dursley, with Amos Kitson as Dudley.

Warwick Davis as Filius Flitwick and Sirine Saba as Pomona Sprout.

Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell and Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge.

Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch and Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander.

The ensemble also includes Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Elijah Oshin as Dean Thomas, Louise Brealey as Rolanda Hooch, Bríd Brennan as Poppy Pomfrey and Leigh Gill as Griphook.

Season 2 Is Already Taking Shape

Kit Harington, known for Game of Thrones, will join Season 2 as Gilderoy Lockhart, Variety reported. He will be joined by 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.

The Team Behind the Series

Francesca Gardiner writes and executive produces the series. Mark Mylod executive produces and directs multiple episodes for HBO, in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television.

Rowling serves as an executive producer alongside Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley Letts of Brontë Film and TV, David Heyman of Heyday Films, Laura Neal and Jon Brown. Heyman produced all eight original Harry Potter films.

According to Variety, Gilby is represented by Independent Talent Group and Untitled Entertainment, Talbot by United Agents and Chinn by 42.

With the premiere less than two months away, the casting of Harry's parents fills one of the last major gaps in the first season's story. Fans will see how the new series brings James and Lily to the screen when Harry Potter debuts on HBO on Christmas Day.