Warner Bros. has edited out six seconds from the new Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore film in China because it alludes to homosexual undertones.
Dumbledore (played by Jude Law) says two lines that have apparently not gone down well with Chinese censors.
In the movie, the legendary wizard says 'because I was in love with you' and 'the summer Gellert and I fell in love', referencing the relationship he had with Gellert Grindelwald.
Warner Bros said despite the censorship, ‘the spirit of the film remains intact’.
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In a statement issued to news.com.au, the studio defended its actions to edit out the dialogue so that they could ‘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," Warner Bros. said.
"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.
“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.”
After releasing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, author J.K Rowling disclosed Dumbledore’s sexuality.
According to Reuters, in 2007, during an appearance at Carnegie Hall to promote her latest book, Rowling confirmed to fans she’s always thought of the character as gay.
“Dumbledore fell in love with Grindelwald, and that added to his horror when Grindelwald showed himself to be what he was,” she said.
“I had to write a little note in the margin and slide it along to the scriptwriter: ‘Dumbledore’s gay!’”
However, Rowling fired back after a fan tweeted they couldn’t ‘see (Dumbledore) in that way'.
“Maybe because gay people just look like… people?”
Despite defending the beloved character's sexuality, the billionaire author has since been labelled ‘transphobic’ by many after she posted a series of tweets in 2019.
One of Rowling’s tweets supported Maya Forstater, a woman who was fired from her job after she posted: "Smart people I admire… are tying themselves in knots to avoid saying the truth that men cannot change into women (because that might hurt mens feelings).”
To which Rowling responded: “Dress however you please. Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill."
Topics: TV and Film, Harry Potter, JK Rowling, China, Warner Bros, LGBTQ
Charisa Bossinakis