Audible Has Finally Announced Its Final Cast List For Harry Potter
After much anticipation, Audible has finally finished releasing the entire cast of over 200 voice actors for the new Harry Potter audiobooks, and it’s truly star-studded.
The cast includes Hugh Laurie as Albus Dumbledore, Keira Knightley as Professor Umbridge, Simon Pegg as Arthur Weasley, Matthew Macfadyen as Voldemort, James McAvoy as Mad-Eye Moody, Kit Harington as Professor Lockhart, and Bill Nighy as Professor Slughorn.
It also includes some fresh faces, with young voice actors Frankie Treadaway, Max Lester, and Arabella Stanton playing Harry, Ron, and Hermione, respectively, in the first three audiobooks.
Stanton, who is also slated to play Hermione in the upcoming HBO series, described being cast in the audiobooks as a “pinch-me moment,” Variety reported, with Lester saying, “I can’t believe that I’m a part of this, and I’m in this amazing role with an amazing cast.”
photo: Tony Shek,retouch: Patrol110 on Wikimedia
Bill Nighy, who also played the former Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, in the films, said in a statement released by Audible, “I was pleased to be asked to play the Professor after having already played a Minister for Magic. Is it possible that I’m the only actor who can claim that achievement?”
“I’m hoping to be a significant part of something that will keep children entertained in the car on those long journeys overseas or just on the way to school,” he added.
With these new audiobooks, Audible promises an immersive audio experience, featuring “stunning scoring, captivating performances from A-list actors, original music, and real-world sound capture,” as stated on its website.
While this level of star power and high-quality sound design is unprecedented for an audiobook, it’s not the first English-language audio version of the Harry Potter series. It follows the 1999 recordings by Jim Dale and Stephen Fry, which will still be available as classic editions.
The new edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone will be released on November 4th. The remaining ones will appear monthly over the next six months.
