HBO's Harry Potter Is Officially Introducing The Coolest Character Cut From The Movies Sooner Than Expected

Published Oct 27, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT James Hunt is a writer, editor, and content strategist based in Newcastle, UK. A journalism graduate with an NCTJ qualification, he has well over a decade of experience in online entertainment media. He's had thousands of articles published, received millions of views, and led coverage on everything from the latest blockbuster movies to the Oscars to bingeworthy and prestige TV shows. HBO's Harry Potter remake is including the coolest character cut from the big screen adaptations, and it's going to happen even earlier than expected. The Harry Potter movies had to make a lot of changes to the source material. Some of these were simply due to it being a different medium, others because of screenwriting and filmmaking decisions, and many because of the constraints of the runtime (and in some instances, technology and budget). The point of the Harry Potter remake, ostensibly, is not having to worry about any of that. The official budget hasn't been revealed, but it's expected to be one of the most expensive TV shows in history. And with eight episodes per season to play with, at least for now, then there's room to not only fully adapt the books in a way the movies never could, but to also go beyond them. There's plenty of evidence of both of these things. For instance, the Harry Potter remake has cast Peeves the Poltergeist, who was tragically cut from the movie despite the perfect casting of Rik Mayall (Peter Serafinowicz will play Peeves in the HBO show). And in terms of invention, we have things like Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger receiving their Hogwarts letters. Another instance, which actually fits into both categories, is confirmed with the casting of Harry Gilby as Charlie Weasley, who was announced alongside the actors playing Lily and James Potter (Hannah Chinn and Jasper Talbot, respectively). Charlie may not be the biggest name, but his addition is a great sign for the show. The Harry Potter Movies Wasted Charlie Weasley, But The Remake Is Already Fixing It Image: WB Charlie Weasley hardly appears in the Harry Potter books, never mind the movies. He only actually appears directly in two of the books, and has the least impact on the plot of any of the Weasleys. You may wonder why I'm so bothered about Charlie appearing in the remake, but that would be your mistake: it's because, based on what we know, he is absolutely the coolest character in the series, and one we need more of. Let's look at what we know about Charlie: he was both a Prefect and Gryffindor's Quidditch Captain (and also played Seeker), the latter of which is even more impressive (in terms of cool points, at least) than the first. Then, when he left Hogwarts, he went to Romania to work with and train dragons. He co-ordinates to help Harry, Ron, and Hagrid get Norbert to safety, showing he's not above bending (or breaking) the rules. He's described as having muscular arms with burns and scars on them. He's funny. He's a skilled wizard and a brave one, fighting against the Death Eaters at both the Quidditch World Cup and the Battle of Hogwarts. He knits fireproof balaclavas, if you somehow still need more evidence! Unfortunately, Charlie was cut completely from the Harry Potter movies. Or rather, almost completely: technically, he appears for about one second in a photograph in The Prisoner of Azkaban, played by Alex Crockford. But his actual involvement was missing, and even his role in Norbert's story was changed, with Albus Dumbledore instead being the one to learn of the dragon and take care of its departure from Hogwarts. The casting of Gilby, assuming he gets more than a blink-and-you'll-miss-it role, is a clear sign that HBO is fixing this and then some. Indeed, the reports indicate that he'll be appearing in the first season of the show, when Charlie doesn't turn up in the books until The Goblet of Fire. This is a pretty easy and logical addition, though, because it could easily have him on-screen as part of the Norbert story, and perhaps even more directly involved. Rearrange the movies into the correct US release order. This also makes sense since the show is giving us more time with the Weasleys, which we know because of the scene with Ron's Hogwarts letter. It's possible Charlie will be at home visiting when that arrives, even, but either way there's a chance to flesh him out and make him a slightly bigger character than even the books managed to. That's important for when the show gets to its fourth season. The handling of the Quidditch World Cup was rather egregious in The Goblet of Fire movie, because so much was cut (like the much missed scenes with Ludo Bagman, the house elf Winky, and Oliver Wood's cameo). By establishing a character like Charlie early, it can better lay the groundwork for a much more expansive adaptation later on, and it also bodes very well for other characters getting their due as well. Charlie might not have a big role, but it's a crucial, exciting step for the Harry Potter remake. Release Date 2026 - 2026 Showrunner Francisca Gardiner Directors Mark Mylod Cast Dominic McLaughlin Harry Potter Arabella Stanton Hermione Granger Alastair Stout Ron Weasley Janet McTeer Minerva McGonagall Harry Potter is HBO's adatation of the iconic Wizarding World book series tby J.K. Rowling. The first season, The Philosopher's Stone, follows the titular Harry Potter as he discovers his magical potential, enrolls at Hogwarts, and begins to uncover a sinister force.