Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi have been cast in a new version of Wuthering Heights, but not everyone is impressed with the decision. The new adaptation of the Emily Brontë classic, famously made into a song by Kate Bush, will be directed by Saltburn‘s Emerald Fennell, whose first film Promising Young Woman earned her an Oscar for best original screenplay.
The 1850 novel follows the tribulations of the Earnshaw and Linton families in rural Yorkshire and the trouble caused by the Earnshaw’s foster son, Heathcliff. At this stage, it’s not known how closely Fennell’s version will follow the book.
Elordi, 27, best known for his role in Euphoria and Saltburn, will be taking on the role of Heathcliff. Robbie, 34, will star opposite him as his love interest, Cathy.
The iconic Heathcliff character has been played by the likes of Laurence Olivier, Richard Burton, Ralph Fiennes, Tom Hardy and even Cliff Richard, with Elordi now set to join that pantheon.
However, in the book, the character is described as having dark hair, dark eyes, and dark skin and is believed to be from a Roma or Gypsy background.
While history shows that the miscasting of Heathcliff in film or TV adaptations is nothing new, the news that the Australian Elordi, who has recently played Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppla’s Priscilla has raised eyebrows.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
A third added: “Heathcliff is described as ‘dark-skinned’ This is SO weird, his being a POC is one of the major themes in the novel??? I hope there’s enough backlash for a recast, this is insane. People just haven’t read the book & it shows.”
Another contentious fact that many have criticised is that Elordi and Robbie are the wrong ages for their characters. Heathcliff is described as being around the age of 40 in the book while Cathy is still a teenager.
One critic wrote: “White Heathcliff and 34-year-old Cathy, and they both look like they belong on Instagram....”
Another said: “This is the most viewbait casting ever. How on earth is she Cathy & him Heathcliff? Looks, age, accents...??? Good English classics are too few leave them alone.”
This will be the first major adaptation of Wuthering Heights since Andrea Arnold’s 2011 film which accurately cast James Howson in the Heathcliff role, in what remains the actor’s only credit to date.
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Getty
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
Log in
New to The Independent?
Or if you would prefer:
Hi {{indy.fullName}} Wuthering Heights is getting a brand new adaptation from Emerald Fennell, and the movie is getting the Hollywood treatment if its cast is anything to go by.
It was announced on Monday, 23 September that Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi had been cast as Cathy and Heathcliff, the tragic lovers at the heart of Emily Brontë's novel. But while the announcement of a new take on the gothic classic might be exciting, for many people the casting was a complete misfire.
Several people shared scathing criticism about Robbie and Elordi being cast in the movie, and most complaints were about the latter being chosen to play Heathcliff.
The reasoning behind the casting concerns is simple, in the novel Heathcliff is described as being “a dark skinned gipsy”, so film and book fans lamented a white actor being cast in the role. And many argued that Fennell must not be familiar with the book if she chose Elordi to play the character.
Sharing their thoughts on social media platform X, one person wrote: “so what we’ve learned is that emerald fennell has not read wuthering heights”, while critic Clarisse Loughrey felt similarly, writing: “did anyone actually read the book before deciding this”.
Another said: “Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights: Heathcliff was ‘as dark almost as if it came from the devil’; ‘a dark skinned gipsy; as a child, he wishes he’d had ‘light hair and a fair skin’, aware of his radicalisation. The film industry: let us cast yet another white actor”
Some people joked that it would be interesting to hear the actors' Yorkshire accents, given Elordi and Robbie are both originally from Australia.
Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights: Heathcliff was ‘as dark almost as if it came from the devil’; ‘a dark skinned gipsy; as a child, he wishes he’d had ‘light hair and a fair skin’, aware of his radicalisation.The film industry: let us cast yet another white actor
— Madeline Potter (@madeline_cct) September 23, 2024
did anyone actually read the book before deciding this https://t.co/cvLZkkTg2f
— Clarisse Loughrey (@clarisselou) September 23, 2024
One person also quipped that Robbie and Elordi were the wrong casting because they don't naturally embody what makes Heathcliff and Cathy so timeless, as they wrote: “no hate to margot robbie and jacob elordi but neither of them have enough Psychologically Tortured vibes to play cathy and heathcliff. like a wuthering heights adaptation simply needs actors who are weirder.”
It wasn't all bad, though, as others explained that those concerned about the casting can simply watch the 2011 adaptation instead, which stars Kaya Scodelario and James Howson.
One person said: “sorry but there really is no reason for more adaptations of wuthering heights when the 2011 movie directed by andrea arnold exists”
While another wrote: “[I] think it’s so unfair and ridiculous how hollywood casting directors keep erasing canonically BIPOC characters in important roles especially in classic literature and historical roles like in Wuthering Heights, the 2011 adaptation is the only one that had an accurate Heathcliff”.
Fennell became a sensation after she directed Saltburn, a bold take on The Talented Mr Ripley that shocked audiences with some of its more sexually charged scenes. Elordi starred in Saltburn as Felix Catton, the object of obsession for Barry Keoghan's Oliver Quick, with Wuthering Heights marking his newest collaboration with the filmmaker.
The director also has a history with Robbie, as the pair worked together on Barbie when the former made a cameo as pregnant Barbie doll Midge. Robbie also previously produced Fennell's films Promising Young Woman and Saltburn, but Wuthering Heights will mark their first project together as actor and director.
Wuthering Heights as been adapted countless times in the past, with big British names like Laurence Olivier, Ralph Fiennes and Tom Hardy playing Heathcliff before. Olivier portrayed Heathcliff in 1939 with Merle Oberon, while Fiennes played the character in the 1992 film adaptation opposite Juliette Binoche, and Hardy played him in the 2009 ITV adaptation alongside Charlotte Riley.
