Casting Sparks Debate As Margot Robbie And Jacob Elordi Take On New “Wuthering Heights” Adaptation
The internet has exploded with reactions to the latest casting news for Wuthering Heights, the upcoming film adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel. Fans and critics are buzzing over the announcement that Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi will take on the iconic roles of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff.
According to Deadline, Robbie and Elordi are set to star in the new film, which will be written, directed, and produced by Emerald Fennell. Emerald, 38, who recently won an Academy Award for Promising Young Woman, is taking on this new project with Robbie’s production company, LuckyChap, and studio MRC, which will finance the film.
With the casting news fresh, social media is already lighting up with mixed opinions. Some fans are questioning if the two stars can capture the emotional intensity of Cathy and Heathcliff’s toxic love. One user on X (formerly known as Twitter) 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.”
Others are thrilled at the idea of Emerald taking on such a dark and complicated story. One optimistic fan tweeted, “And what if I said I’m actually excited for the Emerald Fennell Wuthering Heights adaptation.”
The casting of Jacob as Heathcliff has also sparked a deeper conversation about race and accuracy in literary adaptations. In Brontë’s novel, Heathcliff is described as having “dark hair, dark eyes, and dark skin,” leading some to criticize the decision to cast a white actor in the role. One X user expressed their frustration, writing, “Casting two white people as Cathy and Heathcliff is uh … Why is this the third movie to cast a white dude as a person of color in an interracial relationship where he’s demonized?”
Despite this backlash, it’s not the first time a white actor has portrayed Heathcliff. The character has been played by big names like Laurence Olivier, Ralph Fiennes, and Tom Hardy in previous adaptations. Still, the debate over this casting continues, with some fans arguing that the focus should be on the dark, twisted nature of the story itself. As one person pointed out, “I feel like we’re focusing way too much on the casting & not enough on the fact that Wuthering Heights is an incredibly bleak & nuanced story of a man’s lashing out at mistreatment & bigotry by descending into cruelty towards those around him, including the one he claims to love.”
Both Margot and Jacob have a history of working with Emerald, making this a reunion of sorts. Margot appeared alongside Emerald in Barbie (2023), in which Emerald had a cameo as a pregnant character. Jacob also worked closely with the director in Saltburn, a psychological thriller released in 2023, in which he played Felix Catton.
