Warner Bros. has officially allowed the gay storyline prevalent inFantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledoreto be censored and edited down to help ease its theatrical release in China.The Secrets of Dumbledoreis the third installment in the franchise, followingThe Crimes of Grindelwald, which completely tanked at the box office.
The upcomingHarry Potterprequel continues to follow the many adventures that main characters Newt Scamander and Albus Dumbledore find themselves in. This time, the famous Hogwarts professor will be taking center stage. The early reviews that have been released so far are quite positive, showcasing the possibility of growth for the series - transcending the disappointment that the previous sequel brought. However, most of the praise thatFantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledorehas received thus far has been due to the fact that the creators really listened to the criticism and feedback that fans had for them following the flop of the second film. Many fans were frustrated with the previous film’s lack of being willing to fully explore and represent the obvious romantic relationship brewingbetween Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald. TheCrimes of Grindelwaldwas also met with heavy criticism and negative reviews for its portrayal of the few characters of color who appeared in the film, particularly Claudia Kim’s Nagini.
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Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’s intentions are to correct the wrong-doings of the franchise’s past, most notably when it comes to a lack of inclusivity and diversity within their characters. Yet, if that’s the case, then Warner Bros. couldn’t have made a more ironic, contradictory move by facilitating the censorship of the gay storyline in the film in order to solely increase revenue and commercial appeal. WhileFantastic Beast 3does finally confirm Dumbledore’s sexuality, roughly six seconds of dialogue addressing Dumbledore’s romantic relationship with Grindelwald have been completely removed from the Chinese cut, with the studio’s full permission and blessing.
The lines being removed are “I was in love with you” and “the summer Gellert and I fell in love." In a recent statement, Warner Bros. tried to defend the decision. “As a studio, we’re committed to safeguarding the integrity of every film we release, and that extends to circumstances that necessitate making nuanced cuts in order to respond sensitively to a variety of in-market factors. Our hope is to release our features worldwide as released by their creators, but historically we have faced small edits made in local markets," said a Warner Bros. spokesperson. “In the case ofFantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, a six-second cut was requested and Warner Bros. accepted those changes to comply with local requirements, but the spirit of the film remains intact. We want audiences everywhere in the world to see and enjoy this film. It’s important to us that Chinese audiences have the opportunity to experience it as well, even with these minor edits.”
Although Warner Bros. seems to suggest that it is only a six-second cut, those specific lines of dialogue could very well be considered the most important words uttered in the whole film. How can a film maintain its ‘integrity’ if it is purposefully willing to silence and ban its ownLGBTQ+ character’s loveand identity from being expressed with the same amount of time and attention that the straight characters have always been given?
Although Chinese audiences may be able to still detect the intimate relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, it still doesn’t replace the necessity and significance of having a character be able to safely and proudly express their sexual orientation, which has now been robbed.Fantastic Beasts 3essentially cut Dumbledore’s coming-outstory while still claiming it’s LGBTQ+ at its core - and censorship is anything but representation.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledorewill be released in theaters on Jun 15, 2025.
