Emerald Fennel’s Wuthering Heights adaptation and why I have issues.
With adaptations on the rise in cinema, it is no surprise that only 15 years since the last Wuthering Heights movie in 2011, we have another one scheduled to meet our screens in February 2026. But based on the recently released trailer, this newest adaptation doesn’t fill book fans with much hope.
Why are we sexualising every period adaptation?! From what was shown to us in the trailer for the upcoming Brontë adaptation, which admittedly wasn’t a lot, I think it’s safe to say that director Emerald Fennel is clearly aiming for the erotic shock factor her work is known for. Of the few scenes selected for the trailer, a lot of them can only be described as intentionally sensual in energy. Scenes ranging from nails scratching down a back, Cathy placing her fingers in Heathcliff’s mouth, or the focus on Cathy as she flusters over her thoughts of Heathcliff, all paired with Charli XCX’s song Everything is Romantic, make it clear the tone Emerald Fennell is once again applying to this movie. This isn’t to say that sexual liberty is a bad thing, but I do believe it has to make sense in the story, and personally, I don’t believe it makes sense in the story of Wuthering Heights as told by Brontë. Cathy and Heathcliff’s relationship is intense and formed on an emotional connection of solidarity with each other as they both feel ostracised from their respective places in society. By sexualising their relationship, it not only diminishes their connection but also romanticises it. Wuthering Heights is not a romance, and by adding a sexual component to this otherwise complex, toxic, and dangerous relationship, I think it likely that viewers will ignore the toxic and dangerous foundations and instead view Cathy and Heathcliff as romantic and passionate, maybe even a relationship ideal- a trend already on the rise with the increase of “dark romance”, especially considering the movie’s release date being Valentines Day, clearly trying to capitalise on the date night crowd.
Considering this is a Yorkshire novel set in the Yorkshire moors, the trailer- which admittedly lacks dialogue in favour of a Charli XCX song- lacks any form of Yorkshire accents. This might be a non-issue for some, however, the erasure of northern accents from film and TV has been an occurring pattern for years, dating as far back as the transition from silent film. Considering the movie has been filmed in Yorkshire and they casted big name stars celebrated for their talent, I don’t understand why a Yorkshire accent has not been attempted by the main stars- especially considering accent is also a large indicator of class, a theme which is heavily present in Wuthering Heights. Neither lead actor is British, never mind northern, however I do find it disappointing that in comparison to American movies, an American accent is always attempted and based on regionality, so why can’t the same treatment be given to British characters? Yes, this is a period movie set in the late Georgian era, but northern accents still existed just as they do today.
My main issue with this adaptation and trailer is the casting of Heathcliff. Yes, Jacob Elordi is a talented actor, and we know he can play the toxic, possessive lover based on his previous roles, but why are we still casting white men to play a non-white character?! Whilst Heathcliff’s race is ambiguous, it is made exceedingly clear that he is not white and described as a “dark skinned gypsy” and as having a “dark face”. Heathcliff’s race, whilst not explicitly stated, is an important part of his characterisation as he is frequently othered by the people around him. His mistreatment due to his race and background gives further nuance and explanation about why he is the way he is and why he devolves into a toxic revenge fantasy as an adult when he returns to Wuthering Heights. By casting a white actor to play this non-white character, you remove the racial commentary of the story and instead focus only on the class prejudice. White-washing has always been an issue in regards to adaptations of Heathcliff, most notably Tom Hardy’s portrayal in the 2009 series adaptation. Heathcliff’s race has been systematically removed so much that James Howson was the first black actor to play Heathcliff in the 2011 movie. Why are we now going backwards?Understandably, this trailer has sparked online discourse between not only book fans but also people excited to see the movie with no knowledge of the story. Whilst I’m not filled with hope that this will be a good adaptation of Wuthering Heights, I am aware that, as of now, any real criticism cannot be made based on this two-minute trailer alone. Ultimately, we won’t know the truth behind these judgments until the movie is released next Valentine’s Day.
Image Credit: IMDB
