Keira Knightley transforms into iconic Harry Potter character in first clip of new audiobook

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I’m so excited! Audible is still rolling out the full-cast audiobooks for Harry Potter, and I just got a sneak peek – TopMob has an exclusive clip from the next one, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix! As a huge fan, I can’t wait to hear how they bring this story to life.

The new clip introduces Keira Knightley as Dolores Umbridge, a character she’s playing for the first time in this installment.

In a newly released clip, we hear Professor McGonagall delivering her first speech to the students and staff of Hogwarts. Cush Jumbo returns as the narrator for these audio dramas.

You can listen to the clip right below.

Audible · Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Full-Cast Audio Edition) Excerpt

The complete Harry Potter audiobooks, featuring a full cast, began launching on Audible in November 2025, with a new book released each month.

The new fifth book comes out tomorrow, March 10th. The sixth and seventh books will follow on April 14th and May 12th, respectively.

The cast of The Order of the Phoenix includes Jaxon Knopf as Harry Potter, Rhys Mulligan as Ron Weasley, Nina Barker-Francis as Hermione Granger, Hugh Laurie as Albus Dumbledore, Riz Ahmed as Professor Snape, Michelle Gomez as Professor McGonagall, and Matthew Macfadyen as Lord Voldemort.

Let me tell you, the casting in this is phenomenal! James McAvoy absolutely nails Alastor ‘Mad Eye’ Moody – he’s perfectly intimidating. Kit Harington is surprisingly good as the vain Gilderoy Lockhart, and Ruth Wilson is chilling as Bellatrix Lestrange. Simon Pegg brings a lovely warmth to Arthur Weasley, while Leo Woodall does a great job as his son, Bill. Ambika Mod is fantastic as the ever-changing Nymphadora Tonks, and Alex Hassell really embodies the sneering Lucius Malfoy. Even David Holmes gets a chance to shine as the wonderfully quirky Stan Shunpike. The whole cast really brings these iconic characters to life.

As a critic, I’ve been following the controversy surrounding J.K. Rowling with a lot of interest, and it’s become quite a talking point. Basically, she’s received significant criticism for her views on transgender rights. Back in 2020, she published a detailed essay outlining where she stands on the discussions around sex and gender, but it really didn’t land well. Organizations like Stonewall, prominent LGBTQ+ charities, strongly criticized and challenged her arguments, and the debate continues to be a sensitive one.

J.K. Rowling has expressed her opinions on social media, most recently in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter). In that post, she stated that she doesn’t believe in the concept of transgender children and doesn’t agree with the idea that someone’s gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

In May 2025, J.K. Rowling created the JK Rowling Women’s Fund to provide financial support for legal battles aimed at protecting women’s rights as defined by biological sex.

The main actors from the Harry Potter films – Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson – have publicly disagreed with J.K. Rowling’s views and expressed support for the transgender community. However, some other cast members, like Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, and Jim Broadbent, have come to Rowling’s defense amid the criticism she’s faced.

In October 2025, shortly after Keira Knightley was announced as part of the cast of a Harry Potter audio drama, Decider asked her if she knew some fans were trying to boycott the franchise due to J.K. Rowling’s public statements.

Knightley admitted she hadn’t been aware of the issue and apologized. She expressed a hope that, given the current climate and everyone’s differing viewpoints, people can learn to be respectful of one another.

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The complete audio edition of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be released on March 10th. Check out our recommendations for the best audiobooks currently available on Audible.

Authors

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs writes about TV dramas for TopMob, covering shows on streaming services and traditional channels. Before becoming a writer, he worked in public relations, first at a business-to-business agency and then at Fremantle, a global TV production company. He has a bachelor’s degree in English and Theatre Studies, and a Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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2026-03-09 20:45