A new adaptation of Emily Brontë’s beloved 1847 novel, Wuthering Heights,is in the works, and fans are enraged.
The film, written and directed by Emerald Fennell and produced by LuckyChap, is set to star Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff.
The film is expected to hit theaters next year, and little is known about the adaptation beyond its principal cast, release date and some paparazzi shots of the set. Still, it has already drawn significant criticism online.
Newsweek has contacted LuckyChap via social media for comment.
The Context
The book is set in the Yorkshire moors in the 19th century. A gothic novel, Wuthering Heights explores the passionate and destructive relationship between Earnshaw, the daughter of a wealthy landowner, and Heathcliff, whom Earnshaw’s father adopted as a child.
Film adaptations of beloved classics or popular properties often receive heavy criticism on social media, with the past year alone seeing major fallouts over Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White and the film version of Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us.
What To Know
When the film’s casting was announced in September, it drew immediate ire from fans upset that Elordi would play the male lead.
In the novel, Brontë implies that Heathcliff is nonwhite, and fans have described Elordi’s casting as whitewashing.
“Did anyone actually read the book before deciding this,” one social media user wrote, while another added: “Just COMPLETELY f-ed up the racial dynamics. I’m all for blind casting when racial tension isn’t a factor but Wuthering Heights isn’t just a feminist text, it’s also a commentary on racial inequality and how wealth & class can be wielded as weapons.”
Some fans have also argued that Robbie, 34, is too old to play Catherine, who is 18 in the novel. Meanwhile, others have taken issue with the casting of two Australian actors as the leads in the adaptation of a book synonymous with the dreary, gothic English countryside.
Another point of contention regarding the adaptation is potential historical inaccuracies, which have been heightened by recent paparazzi photos.
In pictures published earlier this month, Robbie is seen in a wedding scene, walking the English moors in a white ball gown, with a veil, diamond tiara and bridal bouquet.
Fans have criticized the images, saying white wedding dresses were not commonly worn until the Victorian era. “To say nothing else; Wuthering Heights is set about 40 years before white dresses became popular and widespread in England,” one social media user wrote.
“Seeing Margot Robbie as Catherine from wuthering heights in that godawful dress just ruined my entire week,” another added.
Other fans have taken issue with Robbie’s hair color. In the images, the actor sports her signature blond hair, while Catherine is described in the book as having dark brown hair.
While the online criticism has already been pronounced, the consensus on social media is that it will only get worse when the film is released.
Alison Herman, a critic at Variety, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “We are about to witness january 6 for english majors.”
In a video, TikTok user @geniusgirlalert said, “I need Emerald Fennell to make sure that she has a team of highly trained therapists around her 24/7 when Wuthering Heights drops.”
What People Are Saying
Michael Stewart, the director of the Brontë Writing Centre told The Telegraph in September: “With Wuthering Heights, you’ve had many years of white actors playing the more ambiguous ethnic character. … But things are different now, the way we represent certain people in art and culture comes with a responsibility now that wasn’t there 20 years ago.”
One social media user wrote on X: “Shut down wuthering heights production I’m so done with that bs.”
Another said: “Just remembered that the stupid emerald fennell wuthering heights movie IS happening and there’s nothing i can do to stop it.”
A commenter added: “Isn’t this supposed to be a dark Gothic tragedy? They’re turning Wuthering Heights into It Ends With Us. Send help.”
What Happens Next
The film is scheduled to be released on February 13, 2026.
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