The Wizarding World has gone and done it again! It's like they're trying to make me feel like I'm stuck in some sort of magical Groundhog Day – only instead of Bill Murray, it's a bunch of British kids playing the most famous wizard, witch, and weasley in history. Yep, you heard that right; three young whippersnappers, Frankie Treadaway (14), Max Lester (13), and Arabella Stanton (11), have been tapped to voice Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, respectively, in the first three "Harry Potter" audiobooks from Audible. I mean, what's next? A remake of "The Big Lebowski" with a cast of geriatric hamsters?
Apparently, these youngsters are already accomplished actors with notable credits – Treadaway has got stage chops in "Mary Poppins" and "Matilda the Musical," while Lester has dabbled in TV and stage work. And Stanton? Well, she's been around the block a few times herself, having played Matilda at 9 and Control in "Starlight Express" at 10! Talk about precocious!
Now, I know what you're thinking: Are they actual friends like Harry, Hermione, and Ron are in the books? And to that, Frankie Treadway says, "Well, yeah, of course we are!" Ah, group hug! But let's be real, folks; I've got a better chance of becoming the next J.K. Rowling (HA!) than these three getting along like a house on fire.
And did you hear about the recording sessions? It was all about method acting – they even had props and real food to munch on while they brought their A-game! Treadaway, in particular, was keen on capturing Radcliffe's iconic line deliveries from the movies. "I definitely did bear in mind what other previous things of Harry Potter were, just so people still have that familiarity with the character," he said. Wise guy!
The real magic happens when you combine these three young wizards' voices with Audible's slick production skills – Hugh Laurie as Dumbledore and Matthew Macfadyen as Voldemort? Yeah, I'm in! And did you know they're already planning a second group of actors to voice Harry, Ron, and Hermione for books 4-7? It's like a never-ending supply chain of wizarding wonder!
Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some important research to conduct on the art of voice acting – specifically how Arabella Stanton went from being Matilda at 9 to voicing Hermione Granger at 11. Okay, maybe not that specific... but hey, a guy can dream, right?
Written by: Jed Cool | The Citizen Edition
“Merc with a Mouth out.”