US Edition'Wuthering Heights' Director Defends Jacob Elordi Casting Amid Backlash
Emerald Fennell aims to capture the primal and sadomasochistic themes of the classic novel in her adaptation, with Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi leading the cast.
- Emerald Fennell is directing a film adaptation of Emily Brontë's 1847 novel Wuthering Heights, opening February 14, 2026, which she calls "primal" and "sexual" to reflect her first reading at 14.
- At age 14, Emerald Fennell first read Wuthering Heights and says her long obsession with gothic fiction shaped the film's tone and her creative drive.
- Emerald Fennell defended her casting, saying `Elordi... looked exactly like the illustration of Heathcliff`, amid criticism of whitewashing since Heathcliff is described as dark-skinned in the book.
- Released earlier this month, the trailer left purists cold and sparked outcry over casting, prompting Emerald Fennell to defend her choices and acknowledge her adaptation responsibility.
- Warner Bros. and partners said Emerald Fennell, director and screenwriter, wrote the screenplay and retained much of Brontë's original dialogue, placing the film within a long line of Wuthering Heights adaptations.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Emerald Fennell Defends Casting Margot Robbie & Jacob Elordi in ‘Wuthering Heights’ After Fan Pushback
Emerald Fennell has doubled down on her decision to cast Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi in her film adaptation of “Wuthering Heights,” despite receiving pushback from fans over the decision. The Oscar winner shared insight into her casting choice while speaking at the Brontë Women’s Writing Festival on Friday, where she acknowledged the “huge responsibility” she felt while adapting Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel to the big screen. She added, “It’s ve…
Why upcoming 'Wuthering Heights' needs Margot Robbie, a star with 'godlike power,' Emerald Fennell says
"I've actually found it quite harrowing," the "Saltburn" filmmaker said of crafting her upcoming adaptation of Emily Brontë's tale.Warner Bros. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi in 'Wuthering Heights'We already knew Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights wasn't going to be like any that have come before, but it sounds like early critics should clutch their pearls even tighter.At the Brontë Women's Writing Festival on Friday, the writer-director spoke …
Emerald Fennell On ‘Wuthering Heights’ Being “Primal” & “Sexual” & Addresses Criticism For Casting Margot Robbie & Jacob Elordi
Emerald Fennell is teasing her film adaptation of Wuthering Heights, which garnered significant attention following the release of the trailer. The filmmaker addressed why she cast Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi in the lead roles and why she decided to adapt the classic book. “I wanted to make something that made me feel like I felt when I first read it, which means that it’s an emotional response to something. It’s, like, primal, sexual,” s…
'Wuthering Heights' Director Defends Jacob Elordi Casting Amid Backlash
Wuthering Heights director Emerald Fennell is defending her choice to cast Jacob Elordi in the role of Heathcliff for her upcoming adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel. “[Jacob Elordi] looked exactly like the illustration of Heathcliff in the first book that I read,” Fennell, 39, said during a Friday, September 26, panel at the Brontë Women’s Writing Festival in England, per Variety. “And it was so awful because I so wanted to scream. Not the prof…
‘Wuthering Heights’ Director Emerald Fennell Defends Casting Margot Robbie & Jacob Elordi | Just Jared: Celebrity News and Gossip
‘Wuthering Heights’ Director Emerald Fennell Defends Casting Margot Robbie & Jacob Elordi Emerald Fennell is responding to critics who feel Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi were the wrong choices for the new Wuthering Heights adaptation. Last week, the…
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