Fennell Defends Wuthering Heights Casting

Emerald Fennell is writing and directing a provocative new adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, starring Margot Robbie as Catherine and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, scheduled for theatrical release on February 13, 2026 after a studio bidding war that reunited Fennell with MRC and landed the film at Warner Bros. The first teaser — featuring overtly erotic imagery and a modern soundtrack scored by Charli XCX — and the casting choices have provoked online backlash, with critics saying Elordi’s casting whitewashes Brontë’s described “dark‑skinned” Heathcliff and noting that Robbie (mid‑30s) and Elordi (28) are older than the teenage protagonists. Fennell has defended her decisions, calling the project “an act of extreme masochism” driven by a lifelong, visceral connection to the novel and saying she wanted to recreate its “primal” and sexual effects. She said Elordi once “looked exactly like the illustration of Heathcliff” she remembered and praised Robbie’s “godlike” presence; Robbie also serves as a producer on the film. Fennell acknowledged the controversy and responsibility, noted the novel’s sadomasochistic elements, described the filmmaking process as “troubling but…useful,” and said she stands by her casting and tonal vision.