Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights Trailer Divides Fans Over Explicit Changes

The upcoming 2026 film adaptation of Emily Brontë's classic novel Wuthering Heights, directed by Emerald Fennell and starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, has sparked significant controversy due to its highly sexualized and explicit content. The film diverges notably from the original 1847 Gothic novel, emphasizing a hyper-erotic tone with provocative scenes such as Robbie’s character putting her fingers in Elordi’s mouth, alongside unsettling imagery like a finger sliding into a deceased fish's mouth. Fans and critics have expressed disappointment and confusion, criticizing the adaptation for straying from the novel’s themes of social class, race, mental illness, and generational trauma, with some accusing it of whitewashing and reducing the story to a modern bodice-ripper. Others have condemned the film's visual style and tone as gaudy and historically inaccurate, while some viewers anticipate a fresh, albeit polarizing, take on the classic. The portrayal has split audiences, with some celebrating the bold reinterpretation and others lamenting the loss of the novel’s depth and darker elements. The film is set for release on Valentine's Day 2026, promising a provocative and boundary-pushing cinematic experience.