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Geek Tyrant
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Audible's New HARRY POTTER Audiobooks Reveal Star-Studded Cast With Hugh Laurie, Matthew Macfadyen, Riz Ahmed and More — GeekTyrant
Get ready to return to the wizarding world in a whole new way. Audible is breathing new life into Harry Potter with an ambitious full-cast audio production of all seven books, and the first installment, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone , drops this November. Audible and J.K. Rowling's Pottermore Publishing just announced the major cast and rollout plan for Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions , which promises a completely immersive experience, complete with original music, high-end sound design, and real-world audio capture. The audiobook series will debut amid the ongoing production of HBO's own Harry Potter live-action TV adaptation in the U.K. The casting for Audible's audio editions wrapped earlier this year, with over 2,000 hours already recorded. And the cast they've assembled is nothing short of magical. Hugh Laurie ( House ) steps into the legendary role of Albus Dumbledore. Matthew Macfadyen ( Succession ) gives voice to the Dark Lord himself, Voldemort. Riz Ahmed ( Sound of Metal ) brings complexity to Professor Snape, while Michelle Gomez ( Doctor Who ) takes on the role of Professor McGonagall. The entire series is narrated by Cush Jumbo ( The Good Fight ), whose voice will guide listeners through all seven audiobooks. As for the young trio, the early books will be voiced by newcomers Frankie Treadaway (Harry), Max Lester (Ron), and Arabella Stanton (Hermione). Interestingly, Stanton is also portraying Hermione in HBO's series. For books four through seven, Jaxon Knopf, Rhys Mulligan, and Nina Barker-Francis will take over as Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The release schedule kicks off with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on November 4, 2025, followed by monthly releases through May 2026: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – December 16, 2025 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – January 13, 2026 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – February 10, 2026 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – March 10, 2026 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – April 14, 2026 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – May 12, 2026 In a statement, Hugh Laurie shared his excitement, saying: 'I'm honored 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 by Pottermore and Audible. 'I'm also deeply conscious of previous drivers Richard Harris, Michael Gambon, Jude Law and the iconic narrations by Jim Dale and my colleague Sir Stephen Fry.' He added: '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.' The original single-voice audiobooks, featuring Stephen Fry and Jim Dale, are still available on Audible and have racked up a massive 1.8 billion global listening hours since their 2015 launch. But this new version is on a different level. According to Audible's Chief Content Officer Rachel Ghiazza: '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. 'We're overjoyed to share that fans of all ages can now mark their fall 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.' Neil Blair, chairman of Pottermore Publishing, echoed that enthusiasm: 'We're thrilled to be partnering with Audible to reimagine the Harry Potter stories through this groundbreaking full-cast audio experience. 'J.K. Rowling's rich, immersive world is perfectly suited to this next evolution in audiobook storytelling. We can't wait for a new generation of children around the world to discover the stories in this exciting new way.' Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions will join Audible's growing library of original productions, including 1984 , Pride & Prejudice , and Sam Mendes' adaptations of Oliver Twist , David Copperfield , and Bleak House . For longtime fans or those discovering the Wizarding World for the first time, this is shaping up to be one of the most exciting Harry Potter projects in years.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hugh Laurie and Matthew Macfadyen sign on for new Harry Potter project
Actor and comedian Hugh Laurie and Succession star Matthew Macfadyen are set to lead a brand new full-cast Harry Potter audiobook series. The acclaimed actors are among 200 voices bringing J.K. Rowling's beloved characters to life for the immersive Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions. Laurie, best known for his role in the medical drama House, will portray Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, while Macfadyen takes on the antagonist Lord Voldemort. Laurie said: '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 by Pottermore and Audible. '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.' The novels have previously been produced into single-voice recordings by Jim Dale and Stephen Fry. Produced by Audible and Pottermore Publishing, the new audiobook series will include a full cast, original music and real-world sound capture to create an immersive audio experience. Emmy award-winning actor, Riz Ahmed, also joins the cast as Professor Snape, as does Scottish actress Michelle Gomez, who will voice Professor McGonagall. Cush Jumbo will serve as the narrator. 'Hearing these spellbinding performances in our state-of-the-art studios has been nothing short of extraordinary,' Rachel Ghiazza, chief content officer at Audible, said. '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.' Newcomers Frankie Treadaway, Max Lester, and Arabella Stanton will play Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger respectively in audiobooks one, two and three. From audiobook four through to the last book in the series, the three protagonists will be played by Jaxon Knopf, Rhys Mulligan, and Nina Barker-Francis (Harry, Ron, and Hermione respectively). News of the series comes after production for the new HBO TV adaptation of the popular fantasy novels began earlier this summer. Each season of the show will be a faithful adaptation of the Harry Potter books. The novels had already been made into movies with Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint playing the trio. The first of the seven audiobooks, Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, will be released on 4 November followed by Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets on 16 December. The remaining books will be released monthly in the new year starting with Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban on 13 January 2026, Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire on 10 February, and Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix on 10 March. Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince will be out on 14 April with the final book of the series, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, scheduled to be released on 12 May. Additional cast members will be announced this autumn.
