Warner Bros. Allows China To Censor Fantastic Beasts 3's Gay Storyline

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Warner Bros. allows the gay storyline in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore to be edited down to facilitate its theatrical release in China. The Secrets of Dumbledore, a follow-up to the much-maligned and financially disappointing The Crimes of Grindelwald, continues the story of Newt Scamander’s adventures with Albus Dumbledore, only this time making placing the Hogwarts professor front and center. The sequel is already said to be a vast improvement over its predecessor, if Fantastic Beasts 3 early reviews are any indication.

This latest installment is tasked with overcoming some criticism of the previous film related to the relationship between Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald, skirting around the issue of their past romance. There was also backlash against some depictions of characters of color in the film, particularly Claudia Kim’s Nagini. The sequel, though it is projected to debut with a soft $58 million as compared to previous Fantastic Beasts entries, aims to win over fans who were unhappy with The Crimes of Grindelwald.

Related: Fantastic Beasts: Dumbledore & Grindelwald Backstory Explained

While Fantastic Beasts 3 does confirm Dumbledore's sexuality, these six seconds of dialogue are being removed from the Chinese cut, with the studio's permission. In a statement released via Variety, WB says it remains “committed to maintaining the integrity” of the movie, and that “circumstances” had called for “nuanced cuts” from the runtime. The studio also clarifies that the filmmakers accepted the changes to “comply with local requirements,” but insist the “spirit” of the film remains intact. Check out the full quote below:

As a studio, we’re committed to safeguarding the integrity of every film we release,