JK Rowling has responded to Harry Potter fans left outraged following an interview in which Fantastic Beasts 2 director David Yates revealed the sexuality of character Albus Dumbledore won't be addressed in the new film.
Yates told Entertainment Weekly that Dumbledore's sexuality won't be explored “explicitly” in the forthcoming sequel, The Crimes of Grindewald, which will feature both the latter - controversially played by Johnny Depp - and the future Hogwarts headmaster (Jude Law) in the same film for the first time.
“I think all the fans are aware of [Dumbledore’s sexuality],“ the filmmaker stated. ”He 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.”
Impassioned fans expressed their disappointment on social media which later prompted the film's creator and screenwriter Rowling to snap back at the critics.
If you're not going to make Young Dumbledore's sexuality explicitly clear in Fantastic Beasts then why even bother with this film at all tbh?
— Jill Pantozzi ♿ (@JillPantozzi) January 31, 2018
Fantastic Beasts 2 and Dumbledore isn't gay and also Johnny Depp isn't in it but it still has Jude Law and takes place in England and Cameron Diaz house-swaps with Kate Winslet and actually it's The Holiday. just watch The Holiday instead
— Rachel Paige (@rachmeetsworld) January 31, 2018
What was the point in mentioning that Dumbledore is gay if it literally is not included in the books, Harry Potter movies or Fantastic Beasts. What a wasted oppertunity to create more diverse characters.
— leslie.jpeg 🌱 (@LeslieFizzy) February 1, 2018
“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 instalment in, is obviously tons of fun,” she wrote sarcastically.
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 instalment in, is obviously tons of fun, but you know what's even *more* fun? pic.twitter.com/Rj6Zr8aKUk
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) January 31, 2018
Rowling was forced to defend Yates' decision to keep Depp in the film despite the domestic violence accusations filed against him by his ex-wife Amber Heard in 2016.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald will be released 16 November
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