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Google PlayA short segment of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore was censored in China.
Variety reports that Warner Bros. cut out six seconds of the 142-minute film because it refers to a gay relationship between Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) that had happened in the past.
Warner Bros. cut out the exchange between the two characters, in which they said, “because I was in love with you” and “the summer Gellert and I fell in love.” The film, otherwise stayed the same, with the audience still knowing that the two had been intimate.
“As a studio, we’re committed to safeguarding the integrity of every film we release, and that extends to circumstances that necessitate making nuanced cuts in order to respond sensitively to a variety of in-market factors,” Warner Bros. told Variety. “Our hope is to release our features worldwide as released by their creators but historically we have faced small edits made in local markets.”
“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,” the statement continued. “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.”
Back in 2009, J.K. Rowling said that the character of Dumbledore was gay, though his sexuality hadn’t been brought up until the newest Fantastic Beasts chapter. In China, the film opened at No.1, earning $9.7 million. The film is set to open in the U.S. on April 15.
