Fantastic Beasts Sequel Director on Dumbledore's Sexuality

How the Fantastic Beasts sequel handles Dumbledore’s sexuality

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is the highly-anticipated sequel to J.K. Rowling’s prequel expansion into the Harry Potter franchise, and it has already been met with controversy leaving some fans concerned about how the second film will play out.

J.K. Rowling revealed years ago that Hogwarts’ headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, was gay and that he was once in love with Gellert Grindelwald (played by Johnny Depp in the films) before they had a falling out. According to Entertainment Weekly, the author and screenwriter revealed to fans that she, “always thought of Dumbledore as gay,” and that the adored headmaster “fell in love with Grindelwald, and that added to his horror when Grindelwald showed himself to be what he was.”

After it was announced that Jude Law would be playing the young Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts sequel, many fans immediately wondered if the romantic history between two characters would be a part of the film. According to the sequel’s director, David Yates, The Crimes of Grindelwald won’t be directly referencing Dumbledore’s sexuality. In a statement to EW, Yates said that Dumbledore being gay would not be “explicitly” addressed and that he thinks “all the fans are aware of that.” Yates went on to say that Dumbledore “had a very intense relationship with Grindelwald when they were young men. They fell in love with each other’s ideas, and ideology and each other.”

After being met with backlash by disappointed fans, J.K. Rowling took to Twitter about Yates’ comments and the controversy, saying:

“Being sent abuse about an interview that didn’t involve me, about a screenplay I wrote but which none of the angry people have read, which is part of a five-movie series that’s only one [installment] in, is obviously tons of fun…”

Rowling’s words hint that while Dumbledore’s sexuality is not being addressed in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, there are the three following movies in the five-part story that have the opportunity to directly address it and bring that history to life on the big screen. At a press conference a couple of years ago, the creator spoke about Dumbledore’s background and said that because of it being a story with five installments, “there’s lots to unpack in that relationship,” between the young Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Rowling further explained that Albus Dumbledore was “quite a troubled man” when he was younger, that he “wasn’t always the sage” and that fans will see him “at that formative period of his life. As far as his sexuality is concerned… watch this space.”

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald will hit theaters on Nov. 16, 2018.