Hear the words ‘Wuthering Heights’, and you’ll likely either think of GCSE English classes or Kate Bush frollicking around pretending to be a ghost. But it’s about to get a very 21st century revival, as Oscar-winning director Emerald Fennell prepares to bring a new adaptation of the novel to the big screen.
Here’s everything we know so far about the upcoming film, from controversial casting to when we can expect the gothic love story will hit cinemas.
What is the plot of ‘Wuthering Heights’?
Set on the West Yorkshire moors, Emily Bronte’s 1847 novel follows two families, the Earnshaws and the Lintons, and their turbulent relationship with the Earnshaws’ foster son Heathcliff.
Heathcliff forms a deep, tumultuous bond with Earnshaw’s daughter, Catherine. But when Catherine chooses to marry Edgar Linton for his social status, Heathcliff becomes consumed by jealousy and vows revenge.
His vengeance extends across generations as he manipulates marriages, inherits his family stead, Wuthering Heights, and the Lintons’, Thrushcross Grange, and lashes out at his own son and Catherine’s daughter, Cathy. That’s enough spoilers, but unless the movie strays pretty heavily from the source material, it’s not going to be the cheeriest watch.
Who will star in the ‘Wuthering Heights’ film adaptation?
Wuthering Heights will be directed by Emerald Fennell, responsible for two of the biggest smash-hit movies (Promising Young Woman and Saltburn) of the last two years. If she manages to get a naked dancing scene in Wuthering Heights, we’ll be really impressed.
But her most important task – casting Heathcliff and Catherine – has raised plenty of eyebrows. Having previously worked with Fennell on Saltburn, Jacob Elordi will play the brooding hero, while Barbie herself, Margot Robbie, will star as the famously brunette Cathy. The latter will also produce the film through her company LuckyChap, as was the case with Fennell’s last two hits.
You might be thinking: ‘Why the outcry? They’re both great actors.’ Well, there’s the fact that Wuthering Heights is famously set in Yorkshire, and Fennell has cast two Australians. They’re also much older than the characters they’re portraying: 34-year-old Robbie is 15-years-older than Catherine at her oldest in the novel, while 27-year-old Elordi is at least 13 years younger than Heathcliff.
Heathcliff is also described as ‘dark skinned’ and is subject to ‘racist abuse’ in the book, making Elordi’s casting even more bizarre for some. As film critic Clarisse Loughrey wrote on X: ‘Did anyone actually read the book before deciding this?’
When will the ‘Wuthering Heights’ film adaptation be released?
That aside, we’re still excited: either to be proven wrong and for the film to be a masterpiece, or just to stare at Jacob Elordi’s abs for 90 minutes.
We have a little while to wait though: Wuthering Heights is currently in pre-production, and filming will begin in the UK next year. That means it’ll likely hit cinemas in 2026.
In the meantime, you can stream the 2011 version starring Kaya Scodelario and James Howson on Disney+, or the Oscar-winning 1939 version with Laurence Olivier on Prime Video. Or just re-read the book, if you’re a purist.
