Those of us without children can’t imagine how hard quarantine has been on parents. And it’s not like we can ask, as none of them could be reached for comment. They’re all busy being full-time entertainment directors while also working as home tutors and personal round-the-clock chefs. That’s why so many celebrities have been trying to give them a break during social distancing. Some very big names, including Tom Hardy, former First Lady Michelle Obama, Chris Evans, and more, have been doing virtual readings of children’s books. Now weary parents are getting a very magical bout of narration to give them a break, as Daniel Radcliffe and other famous actors are lending their voices for a special reading of the first Harry Potter novel. And the whole project is totally free.
Surprise! We've got a treat for you…From today, amazing friends of the Wizarding World are going to take turns reading Harry Potter book one.
— Wizarding World (@wizardingworld) May 5, 2020
And to start us off with Chapter 1, we think you’ll agree we have the perfect narrator...⚡️ #HarryPotterAtHome
https://t.co/w9K77akbou pic.twitter.com/Q03PmjeD5d
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter announced (in news we first heard about at Variety) it has already begun releasing a series of recordings and videos of celebrities reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. (Known as The Philosopher’s Stone in the UK.) Over the next few months, big names will read the first novel of J.K. Rowling‘s series, one chapter at a time. The weekly videos will be available on harrypotterathome.com and audio-only versions will be free at Spotify. Radcliffe is kicking things off, and his chapter is already available. There are also post-reading activities for the chapter available.
Other celebrities participating in the reading include Fantastic Beasts stars Eddie Redmayne and Claudia Kim, as well as David Beckham, Dakota Fanning, Stephen Fry, and Cursed Child Broadway star Noma Dumezweni. More celebrities will be announced as the project goes on, and it will conclude this summer.
Warner Bros.
This is the latest initiate from the Harry Potter at Home project to help parents deal with COVID-19. It released free audiobooks of the first novel in multiple languages previously. It also gave educators permissions to share recordings of them reading the book for their students.
Any teacher would love to have Daniel Radcliffe as a guest speaker in their classroom, but right now parents will really appreciate a magical virtual visit from the Boy Who Lived. We think. They’re all too busy to ask.
Featured Image: Wizarding World