British acting legend confirmed as Lord Voldemort in new Harry Potter series
Hot off the heels of the cast announcement for the upcoming HBO blockbuster series, another adaptation of the beloved book franchise is on its way.
More than 200 actors are involved in the recording of the immersive audio series, Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions.
Set to be rolled out on Audible in the coming months – it will involve the release of the audiobooks with 'original music and real-world sound capture to create an immersive audio experience'.
The stars set to step in two of the most iconic roles are House's Hugh Laurie – who will voice Albus Dumbledore and Succession star Matthew Macfadyen, who is playing Lord Voldemort.
Riz Ahmed, best known for starring in Oscar-winning movie Sound of Metal, also joins the cast as Professor Snape alongside Scottish actress Michelle Gomez, who will voice Professor McGonagall, and Cush Jumbo as the narrator.
Speaking about the casting, Laurie's shared: 'I'm honoured to have been trusted with the keys to Albus Dumbledore, and thrilled to be able to take him around the track of this beautiful incarnation.
'I'm also deeply conscious of previous drivers Richard Harris, Michael Gambon, Jude Law and the iconic narrations by Jim Dale and m'colleague Sir Stephen Fry.
'Just below the horizon, but headed our way, is the rough beast John Lithgow, his hour come round at last. This is great company, and it's a privilege to be among their number,' he added, referencing Lithgow's involvement in the HBO series.
Newcomers Frankie Treadaway, Max Lester, and Arabella Stanton will play Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger respectively in the first three audiobooks, while Jaxon Knopf, Rhys Mulligan, and Nina Barker-Francis will voice the trio in the final four.
Soon after the news was announced, fans said online they were 'loving the sound of this'.
'Magic is coming alive as these brilliant actors lift iconic characters off the page and into our ears,' Audible's chief content officer Rachel Ghiazza said.
'Hearing these spellbinding performances in our state-of-the-art studios has been nothing short of extraordinary. We're overjoyed to share that fans of all ages can now mark their autumn calendars for a truly breathtaking experience with Audible and Pottermore Publishing – one that promises to reignite the magic for longtime fans and captivate a whole new generation of listeners.'
The first of the seven audiobooks, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, will be released on November 4 followed by Harry Potter and the Chamber Of Secrets on December 16.
The remaining books will be released monthly in the new year starting with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on January 13 2026, Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire on February 10, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on March 10.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will be out on April 14 with the final book of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, scheduled to be released on May 12.
Additional cast members will be announced this autumn.
Hugh Laurie rose to fame as part of the comedy double act Fry and Laurie with Stephen Fry.
He went on to appear in Blackadder, star in the medical drama House, The Night Manager miniseries, and sitcom Veep.
Over his career he's won 10 Emmy Award nominations, seven Golden Globe nominations and nine Screen Actors Guild Award nominations. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2007 New Year Honours and CBE in the 2018 New Year Honours, both for services to drama.
Matthew Macfadyen sent pulses racing with his break-out role as Mr. Darcy in the 2005 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice.
From 2018 until 2023 he played Tom Wambsgans in the drama Succession, a role that earnt him a Golden Globe, and two Emmy and two Bafta nominations.
Other notable roles include Hareton Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights, Tom Quinn in Spooks and Inspector Edmund Reid in Ripper Street.
Riz Ahmed began his career staring in independent films like The Road to Guantanamo and Four Lions, but had his break-out role in Nightcrawler, before being cast in the blockbusters Jason Bourne and Rogue One.
He's also starred in The Night Of, Girls, Venom and Sound of Metal.
The performer is also a rapper and part of the Swet Shop Boys.
Scottish actress Michelle Gomez is best known for her roles in The Book Group, Green Wing, Bad Education, Doctor Who, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and The Flight Attendant.
Cush Jumbo played attorney Lucca Quinn in the drama The Good Wife and its spin-off series The Good Fight. Other notable credits include Criminal Record, Vera and Torchwood.
-Development began in 2021, with plans for the series set to span a decade as part of a faithful adaptation of the books
-More than 32,000 children applied to play the three main characters
– It will star Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger.
-John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, and Nick Frost have supporting roles (as Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape and Rubeus Hagrid)
-Filming began Leavesden Studios in the UK last month
-Its due to premiere on HBO in the United States in early 2027, with an eight-episode first season.
The first Harry Potter book, written by JK Rowling, was released in 1997, with the series eventually wrapping up in 2007. More Trending
The fantasy novels followed the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The main story arc concerns Harry's conflict with Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard who intends to become immortal, overthrow the wizard governing body known as the Ministry of Magic, and subjugate all wizards and Muggles (non-magical people).
The books have sold more than 600 million copies worldwide, making them the best-selling book series in history, and were developed into the eight-part film series – itself one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.
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