Warner Bros Removes Gay References In Chinese Version Of Fantastic Beasts 3

Film
studio
Warner
Bros
says
it
has
“complied”
with
Chinese
censors
to
edit
out
specific
references
to
a
gay
relationship
in
“Fantastic
Beasts:
The
Secrets
of
Dumbledore”,
its
latest
theatrical
release
in
the
country.

According
to
Australian
website
news.com.au,
the
Chinese
version
has
chopped
six
seconds
from
the
film’s
final
cut,
including
two
lines
of
dialogues
that
referenced
a
previous
romantic
relationship
between
lead
characters,
Albus
Dumbledore
and
Gellert
Grindelwald,
played
by
Jude
Law
and
Mads
Mikkelsen,
in
the
movie.

The
lines
in
question
were,
“because
I
was
in
love
with
you” and
“the
summer
Gellert
and
I
fell
in
love”.
“The
Secrets
of
Dumbledore”
is
the
third
film
in
the
“Fantastic
Beasts”
series,
a
prequel
spin-off
in
the
popular
“Harry
Potter”
franchise
based
on
the
book
series
by
J
K
Rowling.

Also
starring
Eddie
Redmayne,
Katherine
Waterston,
Ezra
Miller,
Alison
Sudol,
Dan
Fogler,
Callum
Turner,
and
Jessica
Williams,
the
film
was
released
in
China
on
April
8.
Warner
Bros
said
the
spirit
of
the
movie
remains
“intact”
despite
the
cuts.

Fantastic
Beasts:
The
Secrets
Of
Dumbledore
Movie
Review:
Jude
Law’s
Heartbreak
Is
The
Saving
Grace

“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.
In
the
case
of
Fantastic
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,” the
studio
said
in
a
statement
to
the
web
portal.

The
company
said
they
want
the
audiences,
including
in
China,
to
enjoy
the
film.
“We
want
audiences
everywhere
in
the
world
to
see
and
enjoy
this
film,
and
it’s
important
to
us
that
Chinese
audiences
have
the
opportunity
to
experience
it
as
well,
even
with
these
minor
edits,”
Warner
Bros
further
said
in
the
statement.

In
2007,
Rowling
announced
that
Dumbledore,
the
headmaster
of
Hogwarts
School
of
Witchcraft
and
Wizardry,
is
gay
and
that
he
and
Grindelwald
had
an
affair
when
they
were
young.

Thor:
Love
And
Thunder
Trailer
Is
Ready,
Says
Chris
Hemsworth’s
Hindi
Voice
Over
Actor

The
English
author
made
the
remarks
following
the
publication
of
the
seventh
and
final
“Harry
Potter”
book,
“The
Deathly
Hallows”.
Dumbledore
was
not
explicitly
gay
in
the
book
series.
“The
Secrets
of
Dumbledore”
officially
acknowledged
the
character’s
sexuality
on
screen
for
the
first
time.
Previously,
“Bohemian
Rhapsody”,
the
Freddie
Mercury
biopic,
was
famously
chopped
by
Chinese
censors,
omitting
all
references
to
the
Queen
frontman’s
sexuality.

Even
the
best
actor
Oscars
acceptance
speech
by
Rami
Malek,
who
played
Mercury
in
the
film,
was
altered
on
Chinese
television
when
the
subtitles
replaced
“gay
man”
with
“special
group”.