J.K. Rowling may have ruffled some feathers back in 2007, when she declared that beloved mentor Albus Dumbledore from her ‘Harry Potter’ books and movies had always been gay in her mind, although he’d never been shown as having any sort of romantic life. The incredibly inclusive Rowling has repeatedly taken to Twitter to smack down homophobia directed at her and her characters.
Now the ‘Potter’verse is expanding with the 1920s-set ‘Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them’ which is the first of five planned movies and Rowling will be writing all five scripts and a younger Dumbledore will be part of the story. Will Rowling explore his sexuality onscreen?
“I’m very comfortable with the question. I would like to say because this is obviously a five-part story, there’s lots to unpack in that relationship.
“You will see Dumbledore as a younger man and quite a troubled man. We’ll see him at that formative period of his life. As far as his sexuality is concerned, watch this space.”
Another character being explored in ‘Fantastic Beasts’ and subsequent films is Gellert Grindelwald, who will eventually become a powerful dark wizard. Word has it that Johnny Depp is playing the role, although that news was met with rejection from fans who took issue with Depp’s alleged abusive relationship with estranged wife Amber Heard. A subsequent rumor surfaced that Collin Farrell‘s Percival Graves may actually turn out to be Grindelwald. (The film has not been screened, so no one knows anything for a fact, at this point.)
In a previous statement regarding Grindelwald, Rowling expressed:
“Dumbledore fell in love with Grindelwald, and that that added to his horror when Grindelwald showed himself to be what he was. To an extent, do we say it excused Dumbledore a little more because falling in love can blind us to an extent? But, he met someone as brilliant as he was, and rather like Bellatrix he was very drawn to this brilliant person, and horribly, terribly let down by him. Yeah, that’s how I always saw Dumbledore.”
Are you intrigued to see a younger, conflicted Dumbledore in upcoming movies? What about Grindelwald? Would you like to see Depp or Farrell play this iconic character? Or would you rather the part go to someone else?
‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ opens on November 18.
Sources: Variety
