Ian McKellan steals every scene he’s in, but can he do it as a narrator? I wouldn’t be against him. We’ll find out what his dulcet tones alone can bring to the screen later this year, when he narrates Matthew Vaughn’s new fantasy movie Stardust.

The Hollywood Reporter says McKellan has just signed on to take the part. The movie has actually already finished principle photography, but then there’s no need for a narrator until they’re already deep into the editing room. Appearing in the movie beneath his soothing yet authoritative voice will be Claire Danes, Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Charlie Cox, and some goats (pictured right).

Alright the goat-chariot isn’t very impressive, but the film is based on a book by Neil Gaiman, an author who knows a thing or two about the fantasy genre. Stardust follows the adventures of a young man from the small village of Wall, on the border of the land of Faerie. Faerie is home to fantasy things. Look for it in theaters July 27.