J.K Rowling’s New Harry Potter Audiobook Is Here, And It Has A Cursed Child Connection

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
(Image credit: (Warner Bros))

It’s been over twenty years since the Harry Potter franchise first began with a best-selling novel. It’s since expanded to new heights that explore different realms of the world and can be enjoyed in just about every way you can imagine, whether its a sorting hat personality quiz or theme park ride at Universal Studios. The latest release from J.K. Rowling is an audiobook version of her 2007 collection of short stories, The Tales of Beedle the Bard. It connects actors from all sectors of the Wizarding World, including The Cursed Child.

Each of the six stories will be read by another familiar voice in the Harry Potter world. From the seven-film original franchise, Warwick Davis, Evanna Lynch, Bonnie Wright, Jason Isaacs and Sally Mortemore will be lending their voices to The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Fantastic Beasts’ very own Dumbledore, Jude Law, will be provide the occasional notes throughout the reading. An actor from the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is involved as well.

The stage production’s original Hermoine Granger, Noma Dumezweni, will narrate The Tale of the Three Brothers section of The Tales of Beedle the Bard in the first-ever audiobook version of these J.K. Rowling stories. The British actress played an adult Hermoine at London’s West End when it premiered in June of 2016 and continued to play her over on Broadway starting in 2018.

The collection as a whole serves as a kind of book of folktales the children of the Wizarding World would know as well as we’re aware of Peter Pan or The Little Mermaid. Noma Dumezweni has the honor of reading perhaps the most important of the stories since The Tale of the Three Brothers introduces the Deathly Hallows.

And those who purchase The Tales of Beedle the Bard are directly supporting J.K. Rowling's Lumos Foundation, which benefits children living in orphanages and other institutions. At least 90% of profits will go directly to Rowling's own charity. Audible members will also be able to listen to the brand new release between now and January 7, 2021 as well.

The stories include a funny tale about a father’s gift to his son go awry in The Wizard and the Hopping Pot, which will be narrated by Flitwick actor Warwick Davis. The Harry Potter series’ Luna Lovegood, Evanna Lynch, will be reading The Fountain of Fair Fortune, which follows three witches and a knight in the Enchanted Forest.

Lucius Malfoy actor Jason Isaacs is the voice for The Warlock's Hairy Heart, which is about a young warlock who tries to avoid love by turning to dark magic. And the series’ Ginny Weasley, Bonnie Wright, reads Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump, which intersects a king, charlatan and washerwoman.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is available to start listening to on Audible now.

Sarah El-Mahmoud
Staff Writer

Sarah El-Mahmoud has been with CinemaBlend since 2018 after graduating from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in Journalism. In college, she was the Managing Editor of the award-winning college paper, The Daily Titan, where she specialized in writing/editing long-form features, profiles and arts & entertainment coverage, including her first run-in with movie reporting, with a phone interview with Guillermo del Toro for Best Picture winner, The Shape of Water. Now she's into covering YA television and movies, and plenty of horror. Word webslinger. All her writing should be read in Sarah Connor’s Terminator 2 voice over.