Hugh Laurie and Matthew Macfadyen star in new Harry Potter audiobooks
Laurie, who collaborated with Sir Stephen on the long-running sketch show A Bit of Fry & Laurie, is part of a 200-person cast lending their voices to a new Audible series based on JK Rowling's novels.
The actor and comedian said he was 'honoured' to be chosen to portray Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, in the series, Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions.
In June, Sir Stephen – who narrated all seven of the original Harry Potter audiobooks – publicly criticised JK Rowling for her gender critical views, claiming she has been 'radicalised' and is 'a lost cause'.
Laurie, now best known for his role in the US medical drama House, said: 'I'm also deeply conscious of previous drivers Richard Harris, Michael Gambon, Jude Law, and the iconic narrations by Jim Dale [who voiced the US audiobooks of the Potter series] and m'colleague Sir Stephen Fry.
'Just below the horizon, but headed our way, is the rough beast John Lithgow [who will play Dumbledore in the new HBO TV series], his hour come round at last. This is great company, and it's a privilege to be among their number.'
The new audio series will also star Matthew Macfadyen, who won Emmy awards in 2022 and 2023 for his role in the television series Succession, as Lord Voldemort.
Riz Ahmed, the multiple award-winning actor and rapper, plays Prof Severus Snape, and Michelle Gomez, the Scottish actress who played Missy in Doctor Who, plays Prof Minerva McGonagall.
Rachel Ghiazza, the chief content officer at Audible, said: 'Magic is coming alive as these brilliant actors lift iconic characters off the page and into our ears.
'Hearing these spellbinding performances in our state-of-the-art studios has been nothing short of extraordinary.'
'New series will reignite the magic'
She added that the series would be released in the autumn and promised that it would 'reignite the magic for long-time fans and captivate a whole new generation of listeners'.
Newcomers Frankie Treadaway, Max Lester, and Arabella Stanton will play Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger respectively in audiobooks one, two and three.
Stanton, who previously played Matilda in the West End production of Matilda The Musical, will also play Hermione in HBO's new series.
The three friends will be voiced by Jaxon Knopf, Rhys Mulligan, and Nina Barker-Francis from book four to the end.
The first of the seven full-cast audiobooks, Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, will be released by Audible on Nov 4 followed by Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets on Dec 16.
The remaining books will be released in the new year. Additional cast members will be announced this autumn.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
19 minutes ago
- The Independent
Kemi Badenoch reveals how she once got a fellow pupil expelled from school
Kemi Badenoch disclosed in an interview with Amol Rajan that she was a "tattle-tale" during her school years. She recounted an incident from when she was 14 or 15, where she exposed a fellow pupil for cheating in an exam, leading to his expulsion. Badenoch explained her actions stemmed from her strong aversion to cheating, believing it was unfair to those who had diligently completed their work. Following the incident, she received no commendation from her peers, with one student telling her, "You don't belong here." Watch the video in full above.
BBC News
20 minutes ago
- BBC News
Charity set to take over Inverness' oldest church
Inverness' oldest church - Old High - is set to become a community hub and heritage centre under the ownership of a Church of Scotland has accepted an offer from the group, Save Old High Inverness. The building was on sale for offers of about £99,500.A spokesperson for the Kirk said they hoped the sale would secure the future of the site, which was built using parts of a medieval church. Save Old High Inverness plans to carry out studies into how the space could be used in the future. The church was put up for sale in mound on which the Old High was constructed is believed to be the site where Irish missionary St Columba converted King Brude to Christianity in saint is also linked to the mythology of the Loch Ness account of the missionary's life thought to have been written in the 7th Century tells of him encountering a strange beast in the River oldest part of the Old High was used as a prison after Bonnie Prince Charlie's defeat at Culloden, and captured Jacobites were executed in the church connection with Culloden has led to the church featuring as a stop on local walking tours, and made it of interest to Outlander TV hit, based on the books of author Diana Gabaldon, follows the adventures of World War Two nurse Claire, played by Caitriona Balfe, and Sam Heughan's 18th Century Jacobite Highlander Jamie Fraser. A bell believed to have been rung daily for more than 300 years forms part of the curfew bell dates back to 1703 when Queen Anne - the last Stuart monarch - was on the British to the Church of Scotland it was originally rung at 17:00 to signal a night-time curfew before a later tradition started for ringing it at 20: bell is listed in the sales schedule for the Old High, and the new owner would take responsibility for it.
BreakingNews.ie
20 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Jack Osbourne expresses ‘sorrow and gratitude' after death of father Ozzy
Jack Osbourne has paid tribute to his father, Ozzy, and said his heart is filled with 'love and gratitude' as well as 'sadness and sorrow' following the rock star's death. The Black Sabbath frontman, who had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019, died aged 76 on July 22nd from a reported heart attack. Advertisement Osbourne, his mother Sharon and siblings Aimee and Kelly, joined fans in laying flowers at the Black Sabbath bench in his home city of Birmingham last week. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jack Osbourne (@jackosbourne) In an Instagram post, Osbourne said: 'I haven't really wanted to post anything since the passing of my father. My heart has hurt too much. 'I'm gonna keep this short because he certainly hated long rambling speeches. He was so many things to so many people, but I was so lucky and blessed to be apart of a very small group that got to call him 'Dad'. 'My heart is full of so much sadness and sorrow, but also so much love and gratitude. I got 14,501 days with that man and I know that is such a blessing.' Advertisement Osbourne said a quote from US journalist and author Hunter S Thompson summed up his father, who 'lived his life fully'. He wrote: 'Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body… but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, 'Wow! What a ride!'.' His message was accompanied by a video that featured Ozzy's song So Tired, and showed pictures and videos of the father and son with members of their family. On Tuesday, Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery announced it would be extending its Ozzy Osbourne exhibition to the end of 2025 due to public demand. Advertisement Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero, which was originally due to end on September 28, was opened by former X Factor judge Sharon on June 25 to coincide with the band's July 5 homecoming farewell concert at Villa Park. The free exhibition showcases Ozzy's honours including Grammys, MTV Awards and Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame accolades. Kelly, Sharon and Jack Osbourne, view the messages and floral tributes left at the Black Sabbath Bridge bench (Joe Giddens/PA) Birmingham City Council began gathering up tributes left at the Black Sabbath bench on Monday, which will be stored and then handed over to the Osbourne family. The family viewed the tributes last Wednesday during a procession in which the heavy metal star's body was carried through his home city a final time. Advertisement Kelly Osbourne thanked fans for their support in a social media post and said the beautiful messages she received 'have truly helped carry me through the hardest moment of my life'. The siblings featured in the 2000s MTV reality show The Osbournes that shone a spotlight on the family's domestic life, although their older sister Aimee opted not to take part. Ozzy died just over two weeks after Black Sabbath were reunited barely two miles from where they first played together more than 50 years ago. The Back to the Beginning benefit concert saw performances from the likes of Anthrax, Metallica, Yungblud and Guns N' Roses. Advertisement The singer and his Black Sabbath bandmates – Terence 'Geezer' Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward, were the last to appear on stage as part of the star-studded line-up. The group who formed in 1968 and were known for songs including War Pigs and Paranoid, were given the freedom of the city of Birmingham in June, which recognises people's exceptional service to the city.
