Author J.K. Rowling has announced that a host of celebrities will be reading “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” chapter by chapter. Among those participating are actor Daniel Radcliffe, former football star David Beckham, and “Fantastic Beasts” actors Eddie Redmayne and Claudia Kim, along with Stephen Fry, Dakota Fanning, and Noma Dumezweni. Fry has previously narrated the Harry Potter audiobooks, while Redmayne and Kim are known for their roles as Newt Scamander and Nagini in the “Fantastic Beasts” series. Beckham, Fanning, and Dumezweni are newcomers to the Harry Potter universe.
As part of the official announcement, fans can anticipate “more surprises and special appearances.” These readings are aimed at providing entertainment to those who are isolated at home due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The readings will be accessible in both video and audio formats, allowing fans to select their preferred medium. Video recordings can be found at harrypotterathome.com, while audio versions will be exclusively available on streaming platform Spotify. The first chapter, titled “The Boy Who Lived,” has already been read by Radcliffe and runs for 25 minutes. Subsequent chapters, totaling 17, will be released weekly from now through the end of June.
This initiative marks the second phase of the “Harry Potter at Home” campaign, which Rowling and her agency, The Blair Partnership, launched in early April. The campaign initially provided free audiobook and ebook versions of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” through Audible Stories and participating libraries via the digital platform OverDrive.
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