Jaap BuitendijkWarner Bros.Harry Potter fans will have to wait longer to see Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald's love story on the big screen.
In 2007, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling said at a fan Q&A event that she always thought of the Hogwarts headmaster as gay and "fell in love with Grindelwald" in his youth. In an interview with EW, posted on Wednesday, director David Yates was asked if his film Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, the highly-anticipated sequel to the 2016 prequel, makes it clear that Dumbledore is gay.
"Not explicitly," he said. "But I think all the fans are aware of that. 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."
His comments run contrary to what was anticipated, considering the fact that the newest installment of the Fantastic Beasts film follows Dumbledore on his quest to find the fugitive Grindelwald in the big city of Paris.
While we may not be able to see Dumbledore in a lovestruck state, fans of the franchise can witness Jude Law's depiction of the wizard in his youth.
This flashback in the Potter universe reveals a more energetic side to the wizard Potterheads have come to love and adore, with Yates saying, "He's a maverick and a rebel and he's an inspiring teacher at Hogwarts. He's witty and has a bit of edge. He's not this elder statesman. He's a really kinetic guy.
With three more films set for production, not all hope is lost for those wishing to see a more personal side of the mysterious wizard.
In 2016, Rowling hinted at a press conference that she will be revealing more about the headmaster's personal life, telling reporters, "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."
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald will be released on Nov. 16, 2018.