Warning: This article contains spoilers for Wuthering Heights
Recently, the latest film adaptation of Wuthering Heights opened in theaters on February 13, just in time for Valentine’s Day.
This adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel features Margot Robbie (Barbie, The Wolf of Wall Street and Suicide Squad) and Jacob Elordi (Euphoria, Frankenstein and Saltburn) in the roles of Catherine and Heathcliff.
There’s been significant anticipation surrounding the R-rated film’s release globally, due in part to its provocative nature. However, not everyone is pleased with Emerald Fennell’s cinematic interpretation.
A primary point of contention is the casting choice of Elordi. Although a talented actor, the original description of Heathcliff in the book contrasts with the 6-foot-5 actor’s appearance.
Below are some notable differences between the new Wuthering Heights film and the original literature…
There has been speculation about Heathcliff’s ethnicity in the original 1847 novel, with some suggesting that the character has been ‘whitewashed’ in the 2026 movie version (as well as in previous adaptations).
In the book, Brontë portrays the main character as a ‘dark-skinned gipsy’, though whether Heathcliff was intended to be Black remains ambiguous.
Susan Newby, a learning officer at the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, UK, shared with The New York Times: “There is a sense that [Heathcliff] is not white Anglo-Saxon, he’s something else, but you don’t know what that is.”
This ambiguity has led to discussions about the casting of Elordi, an Australian of white descent, in the role.
In Brontë’s novel, Mr. Earnshaw, who rescues Heathcliff from Liverpool as a young orphan, is portrayed as being more affectionate towards Heathcliff than towards his own son Hindley, a character absent from the new adaptation.
Conversely, in Fennell’s film, Mr. Earnshaw is depicted as abusive towards Heathcliff, which is suggested to influence the complex dynamic between Heathcliff and Catherine, according to Vanity Fair.
Elordi, 28, and Robbie, 35, are considerably older than their characters in Brontë’s original writing.
In the novel, Catherine is only six years old when her father introduces Heathcliff into their lives and is 17 when she marries Edgar.
Heathcliff’s age in the book is less clear, but he is believed to be a teenager when he departs the Heights, only to return later.
After Catherine marries Edgar, Heathcliff weds Isabella. In the book, Isabella is Edgar’s sister, but in the film, she is depicted as his ward (a setup familiar to fans of Bridgerton).
Beyond this change, the film shows Isabella succumbing to Heathcliff’s demands, including an instance where she acts like a dog for him.
In contrast, the book has Isabella flee to London with their son Linton after she recognizes Heathcliff’s true nature.
Spoiler alert – for those unfamiliar with the book, Catherine dies after giving birth, a moment that occurs midway through the novel. Fennell chose to conclude the film with this pivotal event.
This decision has led some viewers to speculate about the possibility of a sequel.
Currently, no sequel is planned, but Fennell mentioned the idea in an interview with ScreenRant: “Oh my God. Can you imagine Wuthering Heights 2? More Heights, more Wuthering.”
This response leaves the door open for future developments…