It’s pretty early, but we might already have a winner for the most controversial movie of 2026: Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights. Coming off her viral hit Saltburn, Fennell’s next movie was already anticipated, but her adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel, which tracks the tormented relationship between characters Heathcliff and Cathy, and its devastating impact on the people around them, has courted a different kind of excitement online.

Though the movie has only received a handful of set pH๏τos, a Harlequin romance-styled poster, and a trailer set to the tune of Charli xcx, the discourse over Fennell’s adaptive choices is already in full swing. Much of this stems from the modernized tone and Sєxually-charged visuals, as well as the anachronistic costuming choices.

Of course, perhaps the biggest controversy yet is one that has actually surrounded most adaptations of Wuthering Heights: the casting of its core anti-hero, Heathcliff. Fennell’s Saltburn heartthrob Jacob Elordi will play the tortured character, whose status as a romantic lead has fueled countless debates and thinkpieces over the years.

Elordi’s casting has prompted significant backlash, and Fennell recently defended it by saying he “looked exactly like the illustration of Heathcliff on the first book that I read,” adding that “it seemed to me he had the thing… he’s a very surprising actor.” However, this just seems to highlight the most frustrating element about this persisting Wuthering Heights problem.

Jacob Elordi Fits Past Depictions Of Heathcliff — But Not The Original

When one looks at previous actors who have played Heathcliff, Elordi undoubtedly fits the bill. Laurence Olivier, Timothy Dalton, Ralph Fiennes, and Tom Hardy have all portrayed the character onscreen, further giving rise to the picture of Heathcliff being a dark-haired, wildly attractive white man.

However, Brontë’s novel has evidence that Heathcliff is actually a person of color. In the very first chapter, he’s described as “a dark-skinned gypsy,” and when he’s first introduced to the Earnshaws as a child, Mr. Earnshaw declares, “it’s as dark almost as if it came from the devil.”

Though Brontë never goes into great detail about where he came from — in fact, Heathcliff’s origins are kept a mystery, the source of much speculation and torment — the uncertainty suggests he came from perhaps another country, or was the result of an interracial relationship.

This also deepens the thread of how other characters respond to Heathcliff; he’s often treated with cruelty and distrust, which then contributes to his own rage and darker impulses as he gets older.

Through his past onscreen depictions, Heathcliff has come to represent the archetype of a brooding, misunderstood romantic lead, and he’s often thought of as white. He’s even come to be depicted this way in books and pieces of art, as Fennell’s defense of Elordi’s casting shows. She picked him because he fit the appearance she saw in a book, which arguably makes him perfect for her specific adaptation.

Fennell’s Wuthering Heights Could’ve Finally Portrayed Heathcliff As A Man Of Color

Since Fennell is bringing her own interpretation of Wuthering Heights to life, there’s a case to be made that she’s free to do whatever she wants with the material and its characters. However, it’s hard not to feel like the film is missing out on an excellent opportunity to redefine Heathcliff for the big screen.

In 2011, another movie version of Wuthering Heights did depict Heathcliff as a man of color, casting actor James Howson in the role opposite Kaya Scodelario’s Cathy. Despite its well-known source material and largely unprecedented take, though, it didn’t spark much awareness upon release, earning a mere $1.7 million worldwide.

By comparison, Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is getting the high-profile rollout of a major studio release. From the buzzy teaser trailer — released months ahead of the February 2026 premiere date to drum up intrigue — to the mere casting of A-list stars like Elordi and Margot Robbie, this adaptation has a far bigger platform than the 2011 version did.

Because of that, Fennell’s decision to avoid digging into the racial subtext around Heathcliff’s character is disappointing. As she is white herself, Fennell might not have been the best creative to do this anyway, but it seems that despite her desire to modernize and update the story, she’s once again following the steps taken by past adaptations.

It’s hard to truly gauge what Fennell’s Wuthering Heights will be like since we’ve seen so little of it. There is a very good chance the film could surprise us with its take on the iconic novel; there’s already a theory that the quotation marks surrounding the тιтle Wuthering Heights in the promotional material mean this is somehow a fictionalized version of the story.

On the surface, though, it so far looks like the adaptation is attempting to appear fresh and original while ultimately copying the same misunderstood interpretation of its most prominent character. In ignoring the way Heathcliff is portrayed on the page, Fennell is avoiding one of the novel’s strongest themes and seemingly focusing instead on the romance and inherent Sєxuality of the story.

The trailer plays up the smoldering tension between Cathy (Robbie) and Heathcliff. It’s filled with quick bursts of erotic imagery; critics have been quick to point out this looks like a surface-level, stereotypical depiction of Wuthering Heights‘ story. Though the footage could be misleading, Elordi’s casting only furthers the impression that this will not be an adaptation that truly wrestles with its source material.

Viewers can form their full opinions next year when Wuthering Heights is released. In the meantime, it seems every new detail that is revealed only ignites further debate — if one thing is certain, it’s that this will be a fascinating movie.