One of the biggest questions from Harry Potter fans about Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald has been: will it address Albus Dumbledore's sexuality?
Of course, JK Rowling revealed back in 2007 that Dumbledore is gay and had a torrid love affair with the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald prior to his time at Hogwarts.
When it was announced that young Dumbledore and Grindelwald would both factor into the Fantastic Beasts sequel — played by Jude Law and Johnny Depp respectively — fans naturally assumed they'd see this love affair. However, JK has been surprisingly cagey on the subject.
Now we know why. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald director David Yates recently told Entertainment Weekly that Dumbledore's sexuality is "not explicitly" addressed in the film.
"I think all the fans are aware of that [aspect of his life]," the filmmaker argued. "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."
He continued: "He's a maverick and a rebel and he's an inspiring teacher at Hogwarts. He's witty and has a bit of edge.
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"He's not this elder statesman. He's a really kinetic guy. And opposite Johnny Depp as Grindelwald, they make an incredible pairing."
However, Yates didn't rule out more explicitly addressing the romantic aspect of Dumbledore and Grindelwald's long relationship in a future sequel.
That assurance is cold comfort for Harry Potter fans already upset about Rowling and Yates casting Johnny Depp as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald:
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald opens in cinemas on November 16.
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Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
