Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights Opens to Divisive Reviews and Casting Debate

Overview

• Directed by Oscar winner Emerald Fennell and starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, the new Wuthering Heights began theatrical rollout in mid‑February 2026, including Brazilian cinemas.
• The adaptation emphasizes a sex‑forward dynamic between Cathy and Heathcliff and removes the book’s later‑generation storyline central to Emily Brontë’s structure.
• Coverage highlights criticism of casting choices, including Robbie’s age for Cathy and Elordi’s portrayal of a white Heathcliff despite the novel’s description of a dark or foreign appearance.
• Stylistic choices include an original soundtrack by Charli XCX and costumes by Jacqueline Durran designed for mood rather than strict period accuracy, drawing both interest and pushback.
• Early reaction is sharply split, with some outlets praising the bold reinterpretation and others calling it excessive or among the weaker entries in a lineage of roughly 30–35 screen adaptations.