I think we can all agree that so far, 2020 has sucked. But it’s at times like these that people turn to nostalgia and comforts to help them get through it. Which is great because now it feels like I’m reliving my childhood/adolescence. There are High School Musical reunions, a new Twilight book, a potential 1D reunion, and now celebrities are reading chapters of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. (Lainey: the fact that this punk just referred to Harry Potter as his “childhood” though.)
The readings are part of a larger project by JK Rowling to make the books more accessible during quarantine, a welcome departure from the usual iron grip she keeps on her intellectual property. Apparently, she’s even letting teachers read it to their students online, but ONLY on secure school programs like Google Classroom. The first book will feature celebrities like Stephen Fry, Eddie Redmayne, David Beckham, Dakota Fanning, and many others including a few that haven’t been announced yet. Emma Watson’s gotta be on that list right?
Starting us off with the first chapter is Daniel Radcliffe. He’s the perfect choice, obviously. It was the movie adaptation of this book that launched DanRad’s career, and now he’s come full circle. He’s a good reader too. I’ve forgotten a lot about the Harry Potter books, and it was really cool to relive that first chapter with all of his expressions and intonations.
Side Note: Did you know that Dumbledore just leaves Harry on the front steps with a letter? Like he doesn’t even ring the bell or anything. It’s just Harry chilling in a bundle of blankets for a couple of hours before anyone finds him. WTF Dumbledore! That’s a baby!
As I’m sure you’re probably aware, we (and more specifically Lainey) love Daniel Radcliffe on this site. He’s charming, delightful, polite, earnest, and somehow down to earth despite being the lead in one of the biggest media franchises. DanRad reading a children’s book is perfectly in line with his brand, and it just makes him all the more endearing and likeable. It’s also indicative that he recognizes where he got his start. He’ll always be associated with Harry Potter, and he’s accepting of that. It’s a good look.
I wonder how Daniel feels about all of this attention. He’s been pretty busy. His role in the West End stage production of Endgame was cut short because of COVID-19, but the second season of Miracle Worker just ended a month ago, and he had two movies released this year: Guns Akimbo and Escape from Pretoria. He also has a role in the upcoming Kimmy Schmidt movie, Kimmy Schmidt vs The Reverend.
Now the question is, who’s the better reader? Tom Hardy or Daniel Radcliffe?
You can watch the full chapter reading here.
