Harry Potter, the character and the books, are the ‘chosen one’ when it comes to IP (for screenwriters ‘intellectual property’ also translates to work that is converted into films). The appeal of the Harry Potter books was immense and it resulted in a worldwide phenomenon with the bespectacled character reaching almost every kid’s bookshelf.
With a craze like that, it was no surprise that Warner Bros. chose to bank on the spin-off Fantastic Beasts series but the reception to the series can, for the lack of better word, be described as lukewarm. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore released on 8 April and it currently has a 48% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
It’s not a bad film, hell it’s even better than the last film Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (though the bar is on the floor with that one). Perhaps Fantastic Beasts is cursed…by the controversies surrounding its original IP in the outside world.
The Harry Potter books especially in the 90s and 2000s were a staple for kids, myself included, and several people have claimed that the books taught people ‘kindness and acceptance’. I agree with that to an extent— reading multiple books about characters banding together to fight against evil is a sure shot way to make a kid believe in ‘harmony’.
But as adults, several fans have distanced themselves from the franchise mostly because of how the IP has aged in its various iterations and especially because of JK Rowling.
A Problematic Author
Let’s address perhaps the largest blot on Harry Potter legacy, JK Rowling’s views on gender and sex. Rowling had taken offence to an opinion piece entitled, ‘Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate’. While she received support, several people (including fans) reacted to the tweet, calling her tweet ‘insensitive and trans-exclusionary’.
One user wrote, "I used to love your books, now I’m just so disappointed in you. Your unapologetic ignorance is vile and deeply hurtful," and Volcanologist and author Jess Phoenix wrote, "As much as people fear change, stubborn adherence to unscientific modern Eurocentric cultural norms neglects the reality that gender exists on a spectrum. You are in no way required to be a woman to menstruate."
Her thoughts on trans people and gender identity as a whole have distanced a score of fans from the franchise and any spin-offs. This instance of JK Rowling’s views affecting the legacy of Harry Potter perhaps falls into the mandate of the art vs artist debate but mix the permeability of social media with the scope of interpretation of text in all forms and the line between artistes and their work blurs.
The Film’s Cast Has Its Share of Controversy
The first Fantastic Beasts film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) had, towards the end, introduced Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald, Albus Dumbledore’s childhood lover and eventual nemesis (a real lovers to enemies trope for those of you who care).
After it was announced that Depp would reprise his role as the villainous wizard in the sequels, the makers faced backlash due to Depp’s legal battle with his ex-wife Amber Heard.
Depp and Heard had issued a joint statement in 2016 which read, “Our relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love. Neither party has made false accusations for financial gain. There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm.”
Depp then revealed, in November 2020, that he would no longer play the role of Grindelwald after he lost his libel case against a publication for calling him a ‘wife beater’. Depp had announced that Warner Bros. asked him to “resign” from his role, even though the company had earlier defended his casting. Depp’s fans weren’t happy and many even decided to boycott the franchise.
Hawaii police had announced on 28 March that actor Ezra Miller, who plays the role of Credence in Fantastic Beasts, had been arrested for disorderly conduct. Miller had reportedly become “agitated” and had started “yelling obscenities”. The police chief had also said that they had received 10 police complaints involving Miller in the past month.
In April 2020, a video had surfaced online which appeared to show Miller attacking a woman. According to Variety, the incident took place in “a trendy bar in central Reykjavik”. While Ezra’s role in the films didn’t lead to the amount of backlash Depp’s casting did, it wasn’t less.
Casting larger-than-life actors as larger-than-life characters in films, especially ones like Fantastic Beasts, inevitably means that the makers will have to bank on the stars’ fans for a share of the success. With factions forming within the audience, influenced by the cast’s behaviour beyond the screen, the franchise faced a hurdle.
Dumbledore’s Sexuality and Nagini’s Portrayal
The first two films of the Fantastic Beasts franchise were heavily criticised for ignoring Dumbledore's identity and his romantic relationship with Grindelwald, a fact Harry Potter author JK Rowling had confirmed in 2007, “Dumbledore fell in love with Grindelwald, and that added to his horror when Grindelwald showed himself to be what he was."
As much as Rowling's image for some fans has changed in light of recent events, it was clear that she had imagined and written Dumbledore as a gay character. The latest film does course-correct slightly by accepting the nature of Dumbledore and Grindelwald's relationship with statements like "because I was in love with you”, and “the summer Gellert and I fell in love”.
However, the problem remains that the references are few and far between. China censoring those two statements and the homosexual relationship the two wizards shared that also led to criticism but Warner Bros. maintains that "the spirit of the film remains intact."
Many have pointed out that Dumbledore and Grindelwald's relationship was a major factor of the film's 'spirit' and the story the spin-off franchise follows. A major climax point is also the result of how Dumbledore felt (or feels) about Grindelwald and removing these references makes the film even more confusing than it is.
More importantly, many have pointed out that it's problematic that the wizards' relationship could effectively be 'censored' by just removing a few seconds of the film.
After the trailer for Secrets of Dumbledore dropped, fans started dissecting all the little easter eggs and references in the trailer. The trailer also revealed Claudia Kim as Nagini, one of Voldemort's horcruxes. It was then also confirmed that Nagini was actually a woman who turned into a snake due to a blood curse placed on her family (the maledictus curse).
Then there's the blatant issue with casting an Asian woman as a character who is supposed to be obedient and submissive to Tom Riddle (Voldemort), a white man.
The issue was magnified by the fact that the rest of the cast is predominantly white and the rare Asian character is...well Nagini.
Nagini was never 'humanised' in the Harry Potter books since JK Rowling didn't give much of an insight into the snake. Nagini is described as "a gigantic snake, at least twelve feet long, who belongs to Voldemort on the Harry Potter Wiki and on Pottermore her hobby is "Doing the bidding of her master".
Despite Secrets of Dumbledore being a good, albeit confusing, film, its reception is most likely influenced by these controversies (and some creative decisions) the makers made. While there are two films left in the franchise, perhaps an upheaval would help? Or maybe an end?
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