Wuthering Heights arrives as one of the most anticipated literary adaptations of the decade—a bold, sensuous, and psychologically charged retelling of Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel, written and directed by Emerald Fennell.
In conversation with writer-director-producer Emerald Fennell
It’s not simply another adaptation of a beloved novel. It is a bold, fevered, and uncompromising reimagining shaped by Emerald Fennell’s singular vision. With its powerhouse cast, atmospheric world‑building, and willingness to embrace the novel’s darkest impulses, the film stands poised to become one of the defining cinematic events of 2026. It challenges, provokes, and enthrals—much like Brontë’s original work—and reasserts the enduring power of Gothic storytelling in a modern world hungry for emotional intensity and artistic daring.
How Emerald Fennell tells a visual story.
“There’s a lot of detail in what Emerald does, and I don’t think she ever wants anything in frame that isn’t telling its own story,” says producer Josey McNamara. “There is an otherness that only exists in her mind, and that influences everything from the costume design, set dressing, to the color palette. For anything that is ever on screen, there has been a conversation about the emotional reason for it, with whoever heads the department that provides that element. I think that for everything she does, there’s also a very personal connection, and you can see her vision within it. Tone is such an important thing for Emerald as well; she always weaves together humor, drama, thrilling aspects, sexual dynamics. She has a very unique tone and one that I think audiences connect with because she is all about the journey that someone goes on when they watch one of her movies. And she’s always willing to push the boundary of what that experience is and what those emotions are. What was clear from our first conversation for “Wuthering Heights” was how personal the story was to her and how her vision had evolved over years of re-reading. For Emerald, it wasn’t simply just adapting the novel, but instead an opportunity to interpret a literary work that has meant so much to her for so long. It is a bold and original imagining of one of the greatest love stories of all time, and an incredibly visceral experience.”
The film stars Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, anchoring a production that blends prestige filmmaking with a daring contemporary edge. Fennell’s adaptation is not a polite period piece but a visceral, storm‑soaked exploration of obsession, cruelty, and the destructive power of love—an approach that has already stirred conversation, controversy, and intense curiosity.
A Vision Shaped by Emerald Fennell
Fennell—already known for Promising Young Woman and Saltburn—brings her signature blend of psychological intensity, stylized sensuality, and moral ambiguity to Brontë’s world. Her screenplay is described as “loosely inspired” by the novel, giving her room to reinterpret the material while preserving its emotional core.
Her approach is deliberately unromanticized. Rather than smoothing the novel’s jagged edges, Fennell leans into the brutality of Catherine and Heathcliff’s relationship, portraying them as deeply flawed, volatile individuals whose love is as destructive as it is magnetic. This aligns with the novel’s original spirit—raw, unsettling, and defiantly unconventional—while allowing Fennell to explore themes of identity, class, and desire through a modern cinematic lens.
What Inspired the Film?
The inspiration for this adaptation is rooted in both the enduring power of Brontë’s novel and Fennell’s fascination with characters who defy moral clarity. Wuthering Heights has always been a story about outsiders, obsession, and the corrosive effects of generational trauma. Fennell’s previous work demonstrates a deep interest in characters who exist at the margins of social acceptability—figures who are seductive, dangerous, and emotionally volatile. Heathcliff and Catherine fit naturally into this thematic lineage.
The film also draws inspiration from the cultural moment. Gothic literature has seen a resurgence in popular culture, and audiences have shown a renewed appetite for psychologically complex, morally ambiguous stories. The casting of Robbie and Elordi—two actors associated with intense, stylized, and emotionally charged roles—signals a desire to reinterpret the novel for a generation attuned to darker, more provocative storytelling.
Music plays a significant role in shaping the film’s tone. Pop icon Charli XCX contributes original songs, including “House,” “Chains of Love,” and “Wall of Sound,” which infuse the adaptation with a contemporary, atmospheric edge. Her involvement suggests that Fennell’s vision is not merely historical but a hybrid of period drama and modern emotional sensibility.
A Cast That Reimagines the Myth
Margot Robbie’s Catherine is described as emotionally intense, conflicted, and torn between social expectations and her own unruly desires. Her casting has generated enormous buzz, not only because of her star power but because of her history collaborating with Fennell. Robbie previously produced Promising Young Woman and Saltburn, and her creative partnership with Fennell adds depth and continuity to the project.
“I read the script, and it was my very first experience with Cathy and Heathcliff and this world, and I had no preconceptions, really, other than knowing that this is a literary classic. And Emerald’s writing, whether she’s writing a love story or a revenge story, whatever she’s writing, it’s so gripping and it’s so well-constructed. She really is a genius screenplay writer. Reading any of her scripts is thrilling no matter what, because she is so disciplined with story structure, character development, all those things. And she does it in a way that makes you feel like you just fell into this world, this fever dream, and you got caught up in it. I couldn’t put it down, and I was so changed after reading. I was sobbing, for one thing, but I couldn’t help reliving parts of the script. I kept going back to it and kept wanting to experience it again.”
Jacob Elordi’s Heathcliff has sparked both excitement and controversy. The novel describes Heathcliff as racially ambiguous, and casting a white actor has reignited long‑standing debates about representation. Yet Elordi’s brooding screen presence and psychological intensity make him a compelling choice for a character defined by rage, longing, and alienation.
“Heathcliff is the original outcast. Shouted at, hit, spurned by his father and the world at large. From the start he’s bracing for impact at any time, so his physicality is protective, curled up. The way the set was built, it was like the world he knew, cold, isolating, closing in on him. Cathy was the only source of light or warmth, but he’s still told he’s not one of them. After he comes back to Wuthering Heights, he stands tall. He has autonomy, his clothes complement him. He has money, which makes him their equal. It was a good arc to play. I hope this film reignites passion in people and reminds us how much we miss love, need love, want love… Help us dream of future loves and recall past ones or unrequited ones. And not just romantic love, because Emerald has delivered an all-encompassing take on this one vital emotion that people today sometimes think it’s better to hide from or turn away from. I hope it unlocks that part inside us all.”
A Production Marked by Ambition
The film’s development was itself dramatic. A bidding war erupted in 2024, with Netflix offering $150 million for distribution rights. Ultimately, Warner Bros. secured the film for a significantly lower amount, granting Fennell and Robbie the theatrical release they insisted upon. This decision underscores the filmmakers’ belief that Wuthering Heights demands the scale, immersion, and communal experience of cinema.
Cinematographer Linus Sandgren brings sweeping, elemental visuals to the Yorkshire moors, capturing the landscape as a character in its own right—wild, unforgiving, and symbolic of the emotional storms at the story’s center. The film’s 136‑minute runtime allows Fennell to explore the novel’s intergenerational structure while maintaining a tight focus on the central relationship.
Why This Adaptation Matters
The significance of Wuthering Heights (2026) lies in its refusal to sanitize or soften Brontë’s vision. Many earlier adaptations have leaned into the romance, but Fennell’s version restores the novel’s Gothic ferocity. This is a story about obsession, cruelty, and the destructive cycles that families inherit and repeat. By embracing these themes, the film challenges audiences to confront the darker dimensions of love and desire.
Its release during Valentine’s season is a deliberate provocation. While the date typically belongs to lighthearted romances, Wuthering Heights offers a counter‑narrative: love as possession, love as torment, love as a force that can consume rather than uplift. This contrast positions the film as both a cultural event and a commentary on the stories we tell about passion.
The adaptation also speaks to contemporary conversations about class, identity, and the outsider experience. Heathcliff’s ambiguous origins, Catherine’s divided loyalties, and the rigid social structures of their world resonate with modern audiences navigating questions of belonging and self‑definition.
Finally, the film’s significance lies in its artistic ambition. Fennell is one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary cinema, and her decision to tackle a literary classic signals a desire to redefine what prestige adaptations can be—less museum pieces, more living, breathing, emotionally dangerous works of art.
EMERALD FENNELL (Writer/Director/Producer) is an Academy Award, BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, SAG and WGA Award-winner, and a Golden Globe, Emmy, DGA and PGA nominated filmmaker, writer, director, actress and author who established herself as a prolific multihyphenate in film, television and theatre. As well as an advocate for women’s voices within the film industry.
Emerald’s previous film, the critically acclaimed comedy-drama thriller Saltburn, which she wrote, directed and produced with LuckyChap Entertainment and MRC, starred Rosamund Pike, Jacob Elordi, Barry Keoghan and Richard E. Grant. The film follows student Oliver Quick (Keoghan), struggling to find his place at Oxford University, and finds himself drawn into the world of the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton (Elordi), who invites him to Saltburn, his eccentric family’s sprawling estate for a summer never to be forgotten. Saltburn had one of the most successful limited releases in 2023 in the domestic box office and left an indelible mark on the cultural zeitgeist of 2023. The film also went on to be nominated for five BAFTA Awards, three Critics’ Choice Awards and two Golden Globe Awards.
Fennell’s feature directorial and screenplay debut, Promising Young Woman, which she also produced, was released in theatres December 25 2020 from Focus Features. The film stars Carey Mulligan, who received a Best Actress Academy Award nomination for her role, and was a breakout success out of the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Fennell’s feminist, timely take on the revenge genre was recognized as one of the top scripts of the 2018 Blacklist. She was later nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and won the Best Original Screenplay, received two Golden Globe nominations for Best Screenplay and Best Director, six BAFTA nominations including Best Film and winning for Outstanding British Film and Original Screenplay, as well as DGA, PGA and WGA nominations and won two Film independent Spirit Awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay.
In 2021, Fennell wrote the contemporary musical stage version of ‘Cinderella’ alongside Andrew Lloyd Webber, which debuted at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in London’s West End. The show continued its run on Broadway in March of 2023 under the name ‘Bad Cinderella’ at the Imperial Theatre in New York.
Her debut short, Careful How You Go, which she wrote and directed, premiered at Sundance in 2019. She also served as the showrunner on season two of Killing Eve, for which she was nominated for two Emmys and the show was nominated for a Golden Globe.
In front of the camera, she could be seen alongside Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie which released in 2023 from Warner Bros. Fennell starred in season three and four of Netflix’s award-winning drama series, The Crown, playing Camilla Parker Bowles, for which she has received rave reviews, an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, and the series won the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. Other recent on-camera film credits include The Danish Girl, Pan and Anna Karenina.
Off screen, Fennell has published three novels: ‘Shiverton Hall’ along with the sequel, ‘The Creeper’ and ‘Monsters’ (2017 Carnegie Medal nominee), all of which were incredibly well received and drew comparisons ranging from Roald Dahl to Bret Easton Ellis.
