References to a gay relationship were edited out of the Chinese version of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore, Warner Bros has confirmed.
Six seconds of dialogue, which mentioned the romance between lead characters Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen), were cut at the behest of Chinese censors.
In a statement to Screen, Warner Bros said: “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 locked 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.”
The film opened in China on April 8, where it made $9.8m on its opening weekend.
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