When it was revealed that Jude Law was playing young Dumbledore in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, fans were excited to see the early days of the future Hogwarts professor played out on screen. In particular, it’s only previously been alluded to in the novels that Dumbledore is gay, and was attracted to his former best friend/enemy Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp).
It turns out, though, that the upcoming sequel won’t tackle the duo’s complex past relationship as much as we had hoped. Director David Yates was speaking to EW when he was asked if Albus’ sexuality would be explored in the movie. The answer seems to be that it’ll only be hinted at, with Yates citing that fans are already “aware” of it.
“Not explicitly. But I think all the fans are aware of that. 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.”
This will no doubt be disappointing to many Harry Potter lovers. J.K. Rowling has previously been criticized for not making Dumbledore’s sexuality explicit in the novels, but in her defense they never depicted the character in his youth. That doesn’t apply to Fantastic Beasts, though, so it’s a shame we won’t have much light shed on this fascinating bit of backstory.
As Yates continued, he spoke more generally about how Jude Law’s portrayal of the character will differ from the older, more venerable interpretations by Richard Harris and Michael Gambon, as seen in the Harry Potter movies. The key difference, apparently, is that Law will be “kinetic” and possess an “edge.”
“He’s a maverick and a rebel and he’s an inspiring teacher at Hogwarts. He’s witty and has a bit of edge. He’s not this elder statesman. He’s a really kinetic guy. And opposite Johnny Depp as Grindelwald, they make an incredible pairing.”
Tell us, what are you thoughts on this issue? Should Dumbledore’s sexuality be properly explored in a future Fantastic Beasts movie? Or is it enough for it to be alluded to? Have your say in the comments section below and remember, Crimes of Grindelwald hits theaters on November 16th.
