by John | Feb 2, 2018 | Industry News
The build-up to the FANTASTIC BEASTS sequel is heating up with its release this year – but not in the way you might expect. By Jamie White.
After it had been revealed by JK Rowling that Albus Dumbledore, best know as the Headmaster at Hogwarts, is gay, there was some backlash. The main complaints with this haven’t had anything to do with Dumbledore’s sexuality at all but how Rowling handled his coming out, and how Warner Bros. is continuing to mishandle it.
If a character of the status of Dumbledore is gay, that should be explored as part of his character within the books and the films, not just stated. Now while it’s too late to retcon the previous books and films, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald seemed to be the perfect opportunity to explore Dumbledore’s character further, especially in terms of his sexuality.
But nope. Director David Yates has confirmed that this won’t be happening with this sequel – despite saying that Dumbledore and Grindelwald fell in love. There’s still a chance that this will be explored implicitly and even in future sequels, but surely the time is now.
Many television shows are portraying homosexual characters in a good light (mostly), but major film studios seem afraid to take the plunge.
Hopefully, we see a resurgence of great LBGT characters coming out (no pun intended!) in major superhero, fantasy, and sci-fi films in the future… but for now, drama seems to be the main genre where they’re given a chance (MOONLIGHT, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME). Which implies that Hollywood still thinks that characters’ gay identities are still need to be ‘an issue’.
Read more on the subject right here: http://www.indiewire.com/2018/01/fantastic-beasts-sequel-dumbledore-gay-1201923691/
© WriteMovies 2017. Exclusive to WriteMovies – To syndicate this content for your own publication, contact ian (at) writemovies dot-com.
by John | Aug 11, 2017 | Industry News, Our pick of the web for writers and producers, WriteMovies News
Our pick of the web for July 2017 – From the @WriteMovies Twitter Feed!
Our @WriteMovies Twitter feed has been sharing lots of exciting things giving our tips of the best new articles, insights and offers for screenwriters and producers on the web. And in case you’ve missed anything there, here is our pick for July 2017…
by WriteMovies | Nov 11, 2016 | Ian Kennedy, Writing Insights
Part Two: Understanding sociopaths and their role in our writing and lives
In my first article about this, I looked at what a sociopath is, what distinguishes them from a “psychopath” (sometimes!), and some of the real-world implications of these differences. Now I’m going to explore deeper into what difference these insights can bring to our lives and particularly our writing. (more…)
by WriteMovies | Sep 9, 2016 | Highlights, Ian Kennedy, Writing Insights
Writers need to feel this connection to these characters too – it is only through your characters that audiences can connect with your story and theme.
“Writers need to feel this connection to these characters too – it is only through your characters that audiences can connect with your story and theme.” – The follow up article to “Insights: Character Driven Storytelling” by Ian Kennedy, WriteMovies Director of World Wide Development. (more…)
by WriteMovies | Aug 30, 2016 | Highlights, Ian Kennedy, Writing Insights
Writing Insights: Character Driven Storytelling – your characters, your protagonists, your antagonists, are the ones who need to drive your story
“The antagonist needs to be a stronger driver of the plot than the protagonist in several ways – to provide a threat and complications for the protagonist, to create conflict and hence create an engaging story with high stakes…” By Ian Kennedy, WriteMovies Director of Worldwide Development.
Individual character motivations are often taken for granted by writers who think they have a well-executed plot – and these scripts are often marked by undistinctive characters who behave predictably (“this is what a hero would do”, “we need her to say this for the sake of the plot”). But it is usually due to the characters’ own drive and commitment to the story that the plot actually involves us and works. Character-driven storytelling is an important part of making a connection with the audience: if it’s not the characters themselves who are driving the story forward at every point, the story feels fake and forced and artificial.
(more…)
If a character of the status of Dumbledore is gay, that should be explored as part of his character within the books and the films, not just stated. Now while it’s too late to retcon the previous books and films, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald seemed to be the perfect opportunity to explore Dumbledore’s character further, especially in terms of his sexuality.