'Fantastic Beasts' director says the next movie won't address Dumbledore being gay — and fans are rolling their eyes

• Director David Yates said Albus Dumbledore's homosexuality won't be addressed in the next "Fantastic Beasts" movie.
• It may still be acknowledged in future entries of the franchise.
• Fans don't see why there's any reason to wait.
• The movies follow the rise of Gellert Grindelwald, a dark wizard who had a romantic involvement with Dumbledore as a teenager.
• Fans are also upset with the casting of Johnny Depp, who allegedly beat his ex-wife in charges that were later dropped, in the role of Grindelwald.

"Fantastic Beasts" director David Yates said Albus Dumbledore's homosexuality won't be addressed in the next movie in the series, "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald."

Fans think it should be.

"Not explicitly,"Yates told Entertainment Weekly, referencing whether the movie makes clear Dumbledore is gay. "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."

The story of "The Crimes of Grindelwald"— starring Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore and Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald— continues after the events of the first movie, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," where we meet Newt Scamander, one of Dumbledore's former students at Hogwarts. The arc of the five-movie series will follow the rise of Grindelwald, the dark wizard who had a romantic relationship with Dumbledore during their teenage years. The entire series is set decades before the events of "Harry Potter" and has a planned ending set in 1945, the year Dumbledore vanquishes Grindelwald in a duel.

"He's a maverick and a rebel and he's an inspiring teacher at Hogwarts," Yates told Entertainment Weekly. "He's witty and has a bit of edge. He's not this elder statesman. He's a really kinetic guy. And opposite Johnny Depp as Grindelwald, they make an incredible pairing."

It's possible that Dumbledore's sexuality will be more explicitly addressed in future entries. At a press conference before the first movie's release, J.K. Rowling, who is writing the screenplays for the entire series, said it's a possibility.

"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. "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."

Many fans don't see why the movies should be shy.

To many fans, Yates invoking the implicit understanding between the audience and the movie is a cop-out. If we all know Dumbledore is gay, why be shy about it? It's a missed opportunity for diverse representation, they argue.

J.K. Rowling first revealed Dumbledore was gay in 2007.

Although Dumbledore's sexuality wasn't addressed in Rowling's "Harry Potter" books or movies, it was the subject of fan speculation for years. Rowling explicitly said he was gay and in love with Grindelwald in a public event after all the books were already published.

"I always thought of Dumbledore as gay,"she said. "Dumbledore fell in love with Grindelwald, and that added to his horror when Grindelwald showed himself to be what he was."

She also said she had to push back on heteronormative assumptions from other people working on the movie.

"Recently I was in a script read through for the sixth film, and they had Dumbledore saying a line to Harry early in the script saying I knew a girl once, whose hair…'" she quoted, laughing. "I had to write a little note in the margin and slide it along to the scriptwriter, 'Dumbledore's gay!' If I'd known it would make you so happy, I would have announced it years ago!"

The comments led to a lot of debate about the series.

The movie is also at odds with fans when it comes to Johnny Depp's casting.

Development of the "Fantastic Beasts" movies has also frustrated fans when it comes to the casting of Depp as Grindelwald.

Depp's ex-wife, Amber Heard, accused him of domestic abuse in charges that were dropped during their divorce settlement. In the midst of the #MeToo movement, giving him a prominent role in a series beloved by children has enraged fans. Even Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter in the original movie series, questioned the wisdom of the decision.

Rowling and Yates have steadfastly defended Depp, clashing with fans of the series.

"Based on our understanding of the circumstances, the filmmakers and I are not only comfortable sticking with our original casting, but genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies,"Rowling said in a statement published in December.

"Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald," will be in theaters on November 16.

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