LONDON, 6 AUG

A-listers Hugh Laurie, Matthew Macfadyen and Riz Ahmed have been roped in to voice popular characters of Albus Dumbledore, Lord Voldemort and Professor Severus Snape in ‘Harry Potter’ audiobooks.

A collaboration with Pottermore Publishing and Audible, the voice cast also includes Michelle Gomez as Professor McGonagall and Cush Jumbo as the narrator.

Frankie Treadaway, Max Lester, and Arabella Stanton will play Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, respectively, in the first three audiobooks.

The three characters will later be voiced by Jaxon Knopf, Rhys Mulligan, and Nina Barker-Francis in the last four audiobooks.

The ‘Harry Potter’ audiobooks will be released on the platform with an original score and real-world sound capture, according to a press release.

With over 200 actors, the series will be announcing additional cast members in the upcoming month.

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.”

Neil Blair, Chairman of Pottermore Publishing, said they cannot wait for a new generation of children around the world to discover the stories in an exciting new way.

"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," Blair said.

The first book of the series, ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone’, is set to debut on 4 November. The series is also coming alive once again on screen in the form of an upcoming HBO show.