Overview

• Gomez responded to criticism over her casting as Professor McGonagall in Pottermore and Audible’s full-cast Harry Potter audiobook with an Instagram statement
• She declared that she stands unequivocally with transgender people and supports their rights after acknowledging the pain her involvement might cause
• Pottermore Publishing and Audible revealed an ensemble cast including Hugh Laurie as Dumbledore, Matthew Macfadyen as Lord Voldemort, Riz Ahmed as Snape and Cush Jumbo as narrator
• The first instalment, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, is set to debut on Audible in November 2025 with subsequent books released monthly
• Other franchise actors such as Nick Frost and Paapa Essiedu have voiced support for transgender rights as the HBO adaptation faces similar fan scrutiny