China Shields Moviegoers From a Gay Dumbledore

Six seconds of dialogue are cut from 'Fantastic Beasts 3'
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 12, 2022 1:19 PM CDT
Fantastic Beasts 3 Loses 6 Seconds of Dialogue in China
This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Jude Law, left, and Richard Coyle in a scene from "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore."   (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

Viewers in China watching Fantastic Beasts 3 will see a slightly different film than everyone else. Warner Bros. agreed to cut six seconds of dialogue, reports Variety. Though just a tiny fraction of the two-hour-plus film, those six seconds are notable: They refer to a previous homosexual relationship between Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen). Chinese viewers will not hear the lines "because I was in love with you" and "the summer Gellert and I fell in love," per the Guardian.

Despite the cuts, the studio says "the spirit of the film remains intact." While "we’re committed to safeguarding the integrity of every film we release ... historically we have faced small edits made in local markets," the statement adds. Harry Potter author JK Rowling revealed years ago that Dumbledore was gay, but the lines in the film mark the first time his homosexuality has been acknowledged in any of the franchise films, notes the Hollywood Reporter. (The ending of Fight Club was changed in China, at least temporarily.)

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