Harry Potter saga rerecorded audiobooks with 100s of new voices, score, sound effects

[masterofmystery]

Pottermore Publishing and Audible announced a rerecording of the Harry Potter series audiobooks, now with hundreds of voice actors lending their voices to many characters and narratives of J.K. Rowling's saga, a musical score and new sound design and effects.

This is a major change of the original audiobooks recorded with a single voice - in the U.S. it was Jim Dale; in the U.K. Stephen Fry.

The audiobooks will be released in late 2025.

Pottermore Publishing and @audible_com are working on an exciting project: all seven Harry Potter audiobooks set to be re-recorded with a full-scale ensemble cast! ❤️

Head to our website for more information: https://t.co/i6Kyv1fVPW

— J.K. Rowling's Stories (@jkr_stories) April 25, 2024

Pottermore Publishing, the global digital Wizarding WorldTM publisher, and Audible today announced a brand-new co-production of the original Harry Potter stories, revisiting the beloved listening experience for the first time ever. Scheduled for late 2025, these full-cast audio productions will bring these iconic stories to life as never heard before, offering immersive audio entertainment through high-quality sound design in Dolby Atmos, stunning scoring, a full range of character voices, and real-world sound capture.

Each of the seven English language audiobooks will be released sequentially for a global audience, and will sit alongside and complement the iconic single-voice English language recordings by Jim Dale and Stephen Fry. The Harry Potter audiobooks were first published in 1999 and have been unprecedented in their popularity since they launched on Audible in 2015, with 1.4 billion global listening hours now reached.

Bob Carrigan, CEO of Audible, said: “Beloved the world over, Harry Potter stories have captivated and enchanted fans of all ages for nearly three decades. With millions upon millions of Audible listeners devouring Harry Potter at an astonishing rate, we are thrilled about the opportunity to be part of this next chapter–delighting new and old fans alike with a reinvigorated listening experience that Audible is expertly positioned to create.” Carrigan continued, “Together with Pottermore Publishing, best-in-class producers, and over one hundred actors, we will introduce a groundbreaking new soundscape for the Wizarding World, as well as performances that will inspire our listeners’ imaginations and redefine these quintessential characters for a new generation.”

Neil Blair, Chairman of Pottermore Publishing said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with Audible on what will be a ground-breaking audio edition of the beloved Harry Potter stories. J.K. Rowling’s storytelling lends itself perfectly to the application of new audiobook technologies, and we’re certain this sophisticated, immersive audio experience will not only add a new listening dimension for existing fans but will introduce a whole new generation of listeners to the wizarding world.”