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Audiences loved the way Greta Gerwig's Little Women brought all four March sisters to life, and Netflix's Anne with an E became so popular that when the show was canceled after season 3, 1.7 million fans signed a petition to revive the series. It all just proves that classic adaptations can make the original story even more powerful.
And the newest movie based on a book is going to be one we think about forever — and not just because of its cast. Emerald Fennell (who you'll recognize from The Crown and her work as writer & director on Satburn) is adapting Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights and Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi are leading the cast!
The book, published in 1847, continues to grip readers, and it's become the blueprint for moody complexity — just like Emerald Fennell's Promising Young Woman, which won the Oscar for Best Screenplay thanks to its scathing look at sexual assault. Well, the Em's are coming together for this new adaptation.
Here's everything we know about Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights — and your first look at the movie.
The First Set Leaks From 'Wuthering Heights' Have Everyone In A Tizzy
"I am the biggest fan of Wuthering Heights that there is I just really hope I don’t get disappointed," one Instagram user commented.
Everyone lost their minds when leaks of Margot Robbie dressed in a white wedding gown made their way onto the internet. While some Margot fans say the look is "ethereal" and "majestic," others are criticizing the choice to use a white wedding dress since the trend wasn't started until Queen Victoria married in TK.
"begging people in historical movies and shows to realize white wedding dresses where made the norm in the VICTORIAN ERA," @neybitxh said on X. "wuthering heights is set in the Georgian Era no one was wearing white dresses for a wedding."
Here's Your First Look At 'Wuthering Heights'
The first look at Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights is getting some seriously mixed reactions. The photo features a close-up image of someone (maybe Margot Robbie's) with their fingers and a few blades of grass in their mouth.
"CAN NOT WAIT," one Instagram user said, along with a couple fire emojis. But the intimate (and somewhat shocking) image also has some users asking, "what in the saltburn?"
Who's in the new Wuthering Heights movie?
Frazer Harrison/Monica Schipper/Getty Images
The Wuthering Heights cast will be led by Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie as Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, respectively. Here's the cast list:
- Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw: a young girl torn between her feelings for Heathcliff.
- Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff: a boy fostered by the Earnshaws who's forced to be a servant.
- Hong Chau as Nelly Dean: a servant in the Earnshaw household.
- Alison Oliver as Isabella Linton: One of the Earnshaw's neighbor, whom Heathcliff and Catherine spy on.
- Shazad Latif as Edgar Linton: Isabella's brother.
In addition to starring, Margot will also produce with her production company LuckyChap, which worked behind the scenes on Emerald Fennell's Saltburn and Promising Young Woman.
While some fans were initially excited about the casting, others were concerned about the fact that in the book, Heathcliff is described as "dark skinned." He also tells Nelly that, "I wish I had light hair and a fair skin, and was dressed, and behaved as well, and had a chance of being as rich as he will be!" Um, it looks like Jacob Elordi definitely has fair skin to me.
"Heathcliff is described as a dark-skinned brown man in the book and a major plot point is that he was subjected to racist abuse by his adopted family. But yeah sure Jacob Elordi is perfect," one tweet (which has over 8 million views) says, while another says, "Film studios will say 'We are committed to diverse casting' and then cast Jacob Elordi to play Heathcliff, one of the more famous people of color in literature, whose race is crucial to both his character and the story."
And when the casting for Edgar and Isabella Linton was announced, one X user said, "Now I’m even more pissed off. They look way more like Heathcliff and Cathy cmon now!!!"
Is Wuthering Heights going to be in theaters?
It appears director Emerald Fennell and producer Margot Robbie are pushing for a theatrical release, which is why they've reportedly turned down a Netflix offer of $150 million.
Despite the fact Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said theatrical releases are "just not our business," and the company has stuck to at-home streaming instead, they did break that pattern for Knives Out: Glass Onion in 2022. The movie appeared in around 600 theaters the day before Thanksgiving, but left a week later ahead of its December 23 debut on the streamer.
Co-CEO Reed Hastings told The Hollywood Reporter that keeping the movie in theaters could have made Netflix more money, but later said they just wanted to "break through the noise" and get movie lovers excited for the film to come to Netflix.
All that to be said, Margot Robbie (whose Barbie made over $1 billion worldwide) and Emerald Fennell (whose Promising Young Woman nabbed her an Oscar win and two other nominations) know how to capture the imaginations of movie lovers everywhere. And it could definitely be in their favor to stick to a theatrical release. Stay tuned for official news on where you can watch Wuthering Heights!
When is Wuthering Heights coming out?
Warner Bros. Pictures
Wuthering Heights will premiere on February 14, 2026. Happy Valentine's Day!
What is Wuthering Heights about?
Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights follows the Earnshaws and the Lintons, who are living in the Yorkshire Moors in the 1880s. Their lives change forever when the Earnshaws take in Heathcliff. Like any good dramatic novel, passion lies beneath proper connections, marriages, and societal expectations — and despite Catherine and Heathcliffe's feelings for each other, they have to choose between security and love.
Where is Wuthering Heights filming?
Wuthering Heights is filming right now in the UK. According to Tatler, filming is happening at Sky Studios Elstree in Hertfordshire, and we might see some scenes on location in Yorkshire too.
Check out 16 New Movies Based On Books To Add To Your Watchlist to inspire your next movie night!
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This post has been updated.
