Doctor Who and Succession favourites confirmed to join "ambitious" new Harry Potter audio stories

The line-up includes comedy legend Hugh Laurie as Albus Dumbledore, Succession alum Matthew Macfadyen as Lord Voldemort and Doctor Who star Michelle Gomez as Professor McGonagall.

The Phoenician Scheme's Riz Ahmed will also feature as the enigmatic Professor Snape, while Criminal Record's Cush Jumbo has been tapped to narrate the "immersive" new adaptations.

While HBO Max's upcoming Harry Potter series will see its child actors grow up on screen, these audio versions were tasked with casting Harry, Hermione and Ron two times over – first as children (for books 1-3), and later as older teenagers (books 4-7).

Frankie Treadaway, Max Lester and Arabella Stanton were picked to be the younger versions of Harry, Ron and Hermione respectively, with the latter reprising her role in the live-action series (which is currently filming).

Audible notes that casting for its adaptation was completed in early 2025. Stanton was announced for the streaming show in May, but early discussions would presumably pre-date that reveal, so it's not yet clear which production booked her first.

Treadaway has previously appeared as Tommy in a West End production of Matilda: The Musical, while Lester recently made a brief appearance in summer blockbuster Fantastic Four: First Steps.

The older versions of the trio Jaxon Knopf (Harry), Rhys Mulligan (Ron), and The Jetty star Nina Barker-Francis (Hermione).

According to Audible, more than 200 actors will feature in these full-cast audio adaptations, with more roles to be announced this autumn, ahead of The Philosopher's Stone being released on Tuesday 4th November 2025.

From then, later books will be released monthly, starting with Chamber of Secrets (16th December), Prisoner of Azkaban (13th January), Goblet of Fire (10th February), Order of the Phoenix (10th March), Half-Blood Prince (14th April) and Deathly Hallows (12th May).

More than 2,000 hours of audio have been logged to bring these unabridged adaptations to life, with original music and real-world sound capture accompanying the performances of the actors.

Hugh Laurie commented: "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."

Rachel Ghiazza, 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.

"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."

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights. In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.

Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), in which she insisted that “there are no trans kids” and opposed the idea that a child can be “born in the wrong body”.

In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women’s Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to “individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights”.

Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community. Others, including Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: The Full-Cast Audio Edition is available on Tuesday 4th November. Read our list of the best audiobooks on Audible to listen to right now.

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