Harry Potter movie The Secrets of Dumbledore censors gay references in China

The Chinese government has cut six seconds out of the latest Harry Potter movie, removing references to a same-sex romance.

Warner Bros has bowed to Chinese censors and edited out specific references to a gay relationship in the latest Harry Potter movie, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.

The Chinese version of the movie removed six seconds from the cut, including two lines of dialogue that referenced a previous romantic relationship between two lead characters, Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald, portrayed in the film by Jude Law and Mads Mikkelsen.

The lines in question were, “because I was in love with you” and “the summer Gellert and I fell in love”. The rest of the film remained intact and it’s understood there is still a close relationship between the characters.

Warner Bros said in a statement to news.com.au: “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.

“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.

“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.”

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is in cinemas now. Picture: Warner Bros.

In 2007, Harry Potter author J.K Rowling declared Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, is gay and that he and Grindelwald had a love affair when they were young.

Rowling made the pronouncement following the publication of her final Harry Potter book, Deathly Hallows, and Dumbledore was not explicitly gay in the books.

And while it was hinted in the first two Fantastic Beasts films, it was not until The Secrets of Dumbledore that the character’s sexuality was officially acknowledged on screen.

Gay relationships have been a sensitive subject for the Chinese government’s censors, who rigidly police foreign films that are approved for release in the country.

Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody was famously chopped by Chinese censors, omitting all references to the Queen frontman’s sexuality.

Even Rami Malek’s Oscars acceptance speech for playing Mercury was altered on Chinese television when the subtitles replaced “gay man” with “special group”.

Bohemian Rhapsody was famously censored for Chinese audiences. Picture: Alex Bailey.

Only 37 foreign films a year are allowed to be screened in Chinese cinemas. The Chinese box office is now the biggest money in the world, having surpassed North America during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The lucrative market has become important for Hollywood studios who want access to China’s 1.44 billion consumers, which often leads to filmmakers kowtowing to government censors in order to pass the test.

When the trailer for the upcoming Top Gun sequel Maverick was released in 2019 (the film’s release was delayed several years due to Covid cinema closures), fans spotted a detail on the bomber jacket of Tom Cruise’s character.

A patch of four flags in the original 1986 movie featured the Japanese and Taiwanese flags. In the sequel, those flags have been replaced by different symbols.

The Chinese government does not recognise Taiwan’s sovereignty and regards the island as its territory under the “One China” policy.

Some filmmakers have refused to cut scenes to appease Chinese censors, including Quentin Tarantino, who wouldn’t edit his most recent film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.