Andrew Lincoln To Narrate Quidditch Through The Ages Audiobook

Not long after Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them hit theaters, Pottermore gave the bonus book on which the film was loosely based the audiobook adaptation it deserved. While its companion book, Quidditch Through The Ages, is not (to our knowledge) being adapted to the big screen anytime soon, it is getting released as an audiobook, with a very familiar voice as the narrator.

The digital audiobook for Quidditch Through The Ages is officially available to pre-order at Audible, with a release date set for March 15, 2018. Set to narrate the audiobook is Andrew Lincoln.

Back in 2001, during what felt like an endless stretch of time between the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (the books), J.K. Rowling published two bonus books for charity. One was Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them and the other was Quidditch Through the Ages. As mentioned, Pottermore already released the Fantastic Beasts book as an Audiobook. Fittingly enough, the film's star, Eddie Redmayne narrated the fictional textbook, reprising his performance as Newt Scamander for the textbook reading. With no film star to look upon to read the text of Quidditch Through the Ages, it seems a Walking Dead star will just have to do. Though many of us will likely associate Andrew Lincoln with that southern drawl he brings to the role of Rick Grimes, he'll presumably go with his natural British accent for the narration of Quidditch Through the Ages.

Like Fantastic Beasts, Quidditch Through the Ages is not a novel, but a reference guide, in this case focusing on the beloved wizarding sport played on broomsticks. Written by J.K. Rowling, as Kennilworthy Whisp, Quidditch Through the Ages is a guide to the history of Quidditch in the wizarding world, from its origins to the present day. From what Pottermore says, in addition to Andrew Lincoln's narration of the reference guide, the digital audiobook will also include commentary from known Quidditch enthusiast and player Ginny Potter and known gossip/"journalist" Rita Skeeter. If you've been a regular at Pottermore over the years, you may recall that these two offered commentary on the 2014 Quidditch World Cup. To say that they had different perspectives on the game would be an understatement.

The timing seems long overdue to bring Andrew Lincoln into the Harry Potter universe. Just last year on Talking Dead, he commented on not having had the opportunity to brandish a wand in J.K. Rowling's world. While Lincoln may not have appeared in any of the Harry Potter films, his role in Love Actually put him in the path of a couple of Harry Potter veterans, most notably Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson. As much as I'd love to actually see Lincoln as a wizard on screen, brandishing that wand instead of Rick Grimes' trademark revolver, his voice as Kennilworthy Whisp will have to do.

Some of the Quidditch Through the Ages audiobook's proceeds will go to sports relief as well as J.K. Rowling's international charity Lumos. Pre-order your copy of the digital audiobook over at Audible. The regular price is $14.95, though the member price is $10.46 or one Audible credit.