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Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” Opens With Split Reviews and Strong Word of Mouth

A condensed, style‑forward take anchored by a Charli XCX score now faces a closely watched opening‑weekend test for an R‑rated literary remake.

Overview

  • The Warner Bros. release, produced by Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap and starring Robbie and Jacob Elordi, hit theaters on Feb. 13.
  • Early reception is polarized, with roughly mid‑60s to 70% on Rotten Tomatoes and about 60 on Metacritic, praising visuals, performances and music while critiquing narrative choices.
  • Emerald Fennell says she focused on the novel’s first half and consolidated characters such as Lockwood and Hindley (into Mr. Earnshaw) to shape her personal interpretation.
  • Debate continues over casting Elordi as Heathcliff given longstanding readings of the character’s racial ambiguity in Brontë’s text.
  • Charli XCX’s modern Gothic‑pop soundtrack, featuring collaborations with John Cale and Sky Ferreira, is widely cited as a standout as industry tracking projects a $50–$70 million global opening.