Harry Potter Stars Shine at Launch Event Amid A-List Casting

Harry Potter audiobook stars graced the red carpet at the series launch event on Thursday after A-listers, including Keira Knightley and Hugh Laurie, were cast with major roles.

Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions is a collaboration between Audible and Pottermore Publishing, the latter of which is owned by controversial author J. K. Rowling.

And leading the cast is Frankie Treadaway, who will voice main character Harry in books one to three.

His older co-star, Jaxon Knop, who voiced Harry in books four to seven, attended the event wearing an unbuttoned black shirt and black trousers.

Meanwhile, Max Lester, who voices young Ron Weasley in books one to three, appeared happier than ever as he posed for the cameras alongside his co-stars.

Taking over Ron’s audio for books four to seven is Rhys Mulligan, who attended the glitzy event in a black suit layered over a white shirt.

Arabella Stanton, who will star as Hermione Granger in the newly announced HBO Harry Potter series, is also voicing the character in the first three audiobooks.

From book four, Nina Barker-Francis will take over the voicing.

Actor Mark Addy, who has starred in The Bill and The Full Monty, has been cast to voice gamekeeper and groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid and arrived looking sharp in a white shirt and plaid blazer.

Also in attendance is Hugh Ross, who voices expert wand creator Garrick Ollivander, who sells Harry his wand on Diagon Alley.

Among its 200 cast members, huge celebrities such as Keira Knightley, Hugh Laurie, Matthew Macfadyen, Riz Ahmed and Michelle Gomez have been announced to take on major roles in the series.

But despite the star-studded lineup, none of the A-listers were seen at the event as the child stars took the spotlight.

Keira has recently come under fire for the casting, as she apologised and admitted she was not aware of a Harry Potter boycott over trans issues after being cast in an audiobook for the wizard franchise.

The actress, 40, will voice the role of Dolores Umbridge, but after the announcement, fans took to social media to criticise Keira for her allegiance with JK Rowling

The author has faced intense criticism in recent years for her gender critical views, including from several stars of the Harry Potter films.

She has denied being transphobic, but she previously said she would ‘happily’ go to jail for misgendering a trans person.

After the backlash, Keira revealed she actually was unaware people had been boycotting JK’s work in a show of solidarity to trans people, while saying: ‘We’ve all got very different opinions. I hope that we can all find respect.’

She told Decider when asked about the apparent boycott: ‘I was not aware of that, no – I’m very sorry.’

Hugh will voice the iconic Albus Dumbledore, while Matthew will take on the voice of his arch nemesis Lord Voldemort.

Meanwhile, Riz has been cast to voice potions expert Professor Severus Snape and Michelle Gomez will voice headmistress at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Minerva McGonagall.

The original audiobooks were voiced by the great Stephen Fry.

The comedian and television presenter, who previously hosted QI, told how he used to have dinner regularly with the author and described her views towards the trans community as ‘strange’.

Recording podcast The Show People in June, Stephen said: ‘She has been radicalised, I fear and it may be she has been radicalised by TERFs, but also by the vitriol that is thrown at her.

‘It is unhelpful and only hardens her and will only continue to harden her, I am afraid. I am not saying that she should not be called out when she says things that are really cruel, wrong and mocking. She seems to be a lost cause for us.’

And this is not the first time that JK’s transgender views have caused a stir for the Harry Potter franchise development. 

Filming for HBO’s controversial series was blighted by a group of trans rights protestors earlier this month, just days after bosses reportedly increased security on the set.

The big-budget show relocated production to a quiet street in Skipton in Yorkshire, with huge structures erected on a row of residential rooftops for the scenes.

For the nighttime scenes, one actor was seen perched atop a chimney with a wand in his hand, while a crane was used to stretch the camera towards him.

However, in the wake of backlash from the trans community to Harry Potter author JK Rowling, a small number of protestors gathered on the street to interrupt filming.

One brandished a sign that read Say No To Transphobia, and while there is no suggestion that any of the individuals shown have been involved in any wrongdoing, onlookers said the protestors attempted to set off fireworks to disrupt the set.

It was reported that security on the set had been ramped up over growing concerns that transgender activists were planning to sabotage the new project.

Filming for the new wizarding TV series began earlier this summer, but fears have been sparked after a recent alleged break-in by intruders to the show’s set in Leavesden Studios, Watford, Herefordshire, last week.

The rumoured unlawful entry into the Diagon Alley set came amid growing backlash in the trans community towards JK, who has long been outspoken on gender identity and women’s rights.

Rowling has endured a furious backlash after voicing concerns over the dismissal of biological sex in favour of focusing on gender identity to the detriment of women’s rights, but has consistently denied being transphobic. 

For the new series, Arabella Stanton, Dominic McLaughlin, and Alastair Stout are set to play the roles of Hermione, Harry and Ron in the upcoming series.