Emerald Fennell, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind “Promising Young Woman” and the hit film “Saltburn,” recently announced her newest project, an adaptation of Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights.” The film is set to be released Feb. 13, but critics are already voicing concerns over the movie’s casting choices, music and overt sexuality.
Brontë’s 1847 novel is no simple love story. Set against bleak, Yorkshire moors, it follows the abusive and destructive relationship between Heathcliff, an orphan of uncertain origins taken in by the Earnshaw family, where he meets Catherine, the family’s only daughter. Raised together, yet kept apart by social and class dynamics, Catherine and Heathcliff’s relationship is passionate but plagued with cruelty. This obsessive hate develops as Heathcliff grows from a young orphan subjected to constant abuse and social exclusion into a vengeful adult set on inflicting harm upon the Earnshaw descendants. The story explores themes of obsession, revenge and the effects of class, prejudice and abuse, as toxicity extends beyond themselves and the grave, affecting families for generations.
Heathcliff’s racial identity is central to the novel, yet it has almost entirely been erased through cinematic adaptations of the story. Although Heathcliff is described as “dark-skinned” in the text and is consistently dehumanized and othered, the role has been mostly dominated by white actors, erasing an important aspect of Heathcliff’s identity and diminishing Brontë’s commentary on race and social exclusion.
Fennell’s teaser trailer reignited discussions surrounding the classic’s long list of historically inaccurate film adaptations. Set to an orchestral remix of Charli XCX’s 2024 song “Everything is Romantic,” the trailer features a montage of seductive food preparation shots, sensual clips of shirtless Heathcliff, played by Jacob Elordi, blindfolds and Catherine, played by Margot Robbie, being cinched into corsets. With its Valentine’s Day release and tagline “Come Undone,” the preview portrays the classic as an erotic period piece, focusing on forbidden love and taboo sex dynamics, seemingly erasing the novel’s darker themes of revenge, trauma and societal critique. Fans worry the combination of music, visual cues and sexualized imagery risks turning the story into a “bodice ripper,” romanticizing a relationship that is, in the text, destructive.
Fans of the classic are confused by Fennell’s casting for this adaptation, as she had the chance to challenge previous films and explore the novel’s deeper themes. Yet, her choice of Elordi as Heathcliff suggests she will continue the cinematic tradition of portraying the text as a simple gothic romance, just with a BDSM twist. For a director known for making provocative films that explore dark themes of obsession, gender roles and class privilege, her choice to lean more into a sensual gothic aesthetic and cast heartthrob actors feels like a missed opportunity to delve into deeper subject matter.
This is not the first adaptation to focus on Heathcliff and Catherine’s romance while downplaying the novel’s psychological complexity. Previous adaptations have cast Heathcliff as a brooding, sympathetic outsider, emphasizing romance over his acts of cruelty. This makes no sense to fans of the classic. As in the text, his character develops into a cruel anti-hero, plagued by his past and set on continuing cycles of abuse. To produce a palatable gothic romance, many adaptations chose to remove the second part of the text entirely. Where in the novel, Heathcliff abused his wife Isabella Linton, forced Catherine’s daughter (also named Catherine) to marry his son and had part of Catherine’s coffin removed so his remains could be with hers for eternity.
Although the modern soundtrack and R-rating might make it seem as though Fennell is breathing fresh air into an often-retold story, based on the trailer, its soundtrack and choice of casting, fans are prepared for the same recycled, romanticized cliches under a thin veil of edgy modernization. By glossing over the novel’s cruelty and tension in favor of seduction, dog collars and red lace, the film will most likely become just another name on the long list of adaptations that fail to authentically represent the text they claim to showcase.
