Jude Law says he wasn't aware that Dumbledore wouldn't be 'explicitly' gay in 'Fantastic Beasts: The ·
Sophia Dalton
Jude Law says he didn't know that Dumbledore wouldn't be "explicitly" gay in "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald."
The actor, who plays Albus Dumbledore in the franchise, told the New York Times that he wasn't aware that director David Yates wouldn't make the iconic character's sexuality distinct in the most recent film.
"He didn't say that to me," Law said. "Every time I asked, it was, 'Yes, he is.' In my mind, he is."
The 45-year-old elaborated and said that the personal relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald isn't at the forefront of the movie (which focuses on Grindelwald's plan for the rise of pure-blood wizards).
"This film is not about his homosexuality, nor does his sexuality define him," Law said. "But that relationship is certainly a defining element of who he is and what he's about. I also don't think he's someone who has given his heart or his soul to many people. The aftermath of their relationship left him reeling, and he’s packed his heart in ice, to be honest, and no one’s quite thawed it."
Read more: Why devoted 'Harry Potter' fans feel betrayed by J.K. Rowling and the 'Fantastic Beasts' franchise
In 2007, JK Rowling revealed that Dumbledore is gay, but "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" barely scratches the surface of his romance with the titular character.
Their relationship is briefly alluded to when someone says that the two were like brothers, but Dumbledore corrects them, saying that they were closer than that. It's also touched on in another scene, when Dumbledore looks into the Mirror of Erised and sees the younger versions of himself and Grindelwald cutting their palms, pressing their hands together, and making a blood pact.
"I think the world is ready for it, and if it isn't, it bloody well should be," Law told the New York Times.
Previously, Yates explained that the movie wouldn't make Dumbledore's sexuality clear.
"But I think all the fans are aware of that," he told Entertainment Weekly. "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 also told Empire magazine: "This part of this huge narrative that Jo [Rowling] is creating doesn't focus on his sexuality, but we're not airbrushing or hiding it. The story isn't there in this particular movie, but it's clear in what you see … that he is gay."
Yates added that they filmed a a few scenes of "very sensual moments of him and the young Grindelwald."
"Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" is the second of five films that are in the works. Rowling, who's the screenwriter, already confirmed that the series will conclude in 1945 (which is the same year that Grindelwald and Dumbledore had their historic fight that the latter won).
Considering that there are three more movies to come, it's possible that Dumbledore's sexuality will be more explicitly addressed later.
"I can't tell you everything I would like to say because this is obviously a five-part story so there's lots to unpack in that relationship," Rowling said at a press conference. "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."
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