SAEDNEWS: Emerald Fennell’s upcoming Wuthering Heights, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, has ignited a storm of online backlash, with fans slamming the adaptation as “whitewashed” and “insulting” to Emily Brontë’s classic novel.
According to Saed News, Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi’s Wuthering Heights movie is facing a wave of criticism just days after the first trailer was released. Directed by Emerald Fennell, known for stirring debate with her provocative 2023 film Saltburn, the new adaptation of Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel has already amassed over six million views on YouTube but is sparking fierce backlash from literary fans who accuse it of “whitewashing” the source material.
The preview, released earlier this week, offers a sexually charged and highly stylized take on Brontë’s Gothic tale. While some praised its bold visuals, many long-time readers of the novel voiced anger over casting decisions and deviations from the original text. One viral X post branded the adaptation “horrendous & insulting to the source material.”
Wuthering Heights Trailer
Much of the backlash centers on the actors chosen for the iconic roles of Cathy and Heathcliff. Brontë’s protagonist is portrayed from childhood to her late teens, yet 35-year-old Margot Robbie has been cast in the part. Critics argue she is too old to believably embody the character.
Jacob Elordi’s role as Heathcliff has provoked even greater criticism. In the novel, Heathcliff is described with a darker skin tone and a “gipsy-like” appearance that marks him as an outsider. Fans contend casting Elordi, a tall, fair-skinned Australian actor, erases the racial and social dynamics central to the story.
Kharmel Cochrane, the film’s casting director, addressed the outrage by saying, “English Lit fans are not going to be happy,” while also dismissing the criticism by claiming, “it’s just a book” and “not based on real life.” These remarks have only intensified frustration among Brontë enthusiasts who argue that Heathcliff’s outsider identity is essential to the narrative’s themes of class, race, and prejudice.
Kharmel Cochrane
Beyond the casting, early viewers have noted the adaptation’s overtly sexual tone. Reports describe a “BDSM-tinged encounter” with horse reins teased in the trailer, with some suggesting the film has been styled to appeal to audiences of shows like Bridgerton. An early audience member even called the movie “aggressively provocative and tonally abrasive.”
Robbie not only stars but also produces the film under her LuckyChap banner, the same company behind Promising Young Woman and Saltburn. Fennell both wrote and directed the screenplay, signaling her intent to take creative liberties with Brontë’s text. Elordi, notably, also starred in Saltburn, strengthening the creative partnership.
Despite the backlash, Wuthering Heights is locked in for a Valentine’s Day release on February 13, 2026. For now, fans are left questioning whether the film is truly a faithful adaptation — or, as one X user speculated, “less of a Wuthering Heights adaptation and more of an original concept.”
