Emerald Fennell's 'Wuthering Heights,' Does The Director's New Film Adaptation Do The Novel Justice?

Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is finally scheduled to arrive in theatres on February 13, 2026. While audiences are eagerly waiting for the romantic drama to be released on the big screen, the critics’ reviews are out now, and they are expected to help the viewers decide whether to watch the film or skip it. The film has scored 71% on Rotten Tomatoes until now.

Wuthering Heights features Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi in the lead. It is a loose adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel of the same name, published back in 1847. Notably, the adaptation created headlines before release, with the trailer being criticized online for certain reasons. With the theatrical release date approaching, keep reading to know whether the new film is a perfect adaptation of the book.

Wuthering Heights movie takes a different approach to the book’s second half, and the narrator

For the unversed, Emerald Fennell’s film is not the only adaptation of the book so far. Wuthering Heights has been adapted into around 35 films and TV shows. However, the new film takes a different approach in terms of adapting the second half of the book. The film ignores the situations that emerge due to 'Catherine' and 'Heathcliff’s' romance, specifically the impact of the romance on their descendants.

Anyone who has read the book knows that 'Mr. Lockwood' and 'Nelly Dean' are the narrators. But Emerald Fennell has made some changes for this portion. For the movie, Emerald entirely gets rid of 'Lockwood' as the narrator. Emerald does something similar with 'Nelly.' 'Nelly Dean' has been portrayed by Hong Chau. Vy Nguyen plays the younger version of the character.

Casting decision in Wuthering Heights created controversy before release

Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi’s casting as 'Catherine' and 'Heathcliff' was finalized in September 2024. However, the decision immediately led to criticism from those who read the book. People were specifically dissatisfied with 'Heathcliff' being portrayed as a white man, even though the novel has been unclear about 'Heathcliff’s' background.

Moreover, the age difference of the lead actors in Wuthering Heights also led to another controversy since the main characters in the book are teenagers when they fall in love. On the other hand, a few more readers criticized that Margot Robbie had straight hair instead of the brown ringlets of 'Catherine,' which is also mentioned in the book.

Margot Robbie has previously opened up about the differences between the book and movie adaptation

While speaking to The Sun in 2026, Margot Robbie said that there is one particular thing that makes the Wuthering Heights movie different from the book. Margot said during the conversation that the main characters, 'Catherine' and 'Heathcliff,' do not kiss in the book. However, the same thing is happening in the movie. The actress mentioned that there are multiple moments where 'Heathcliff' picks up 'Catherine,' sometimes with one hand, and puts her in a tree.

Director Emerald Fennell also appeared for an interview in September 2025, where she opened up on her approach towards making the film. Emerald said in the interview that she aimed to recreate everything that she felt while reading the book for the first time. Apart from Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, the film also features Alison Oliver, Martin Clunes, and Ewan Mitchell playing important roles.

What are your thoughts on the differences between the book and film adaptation of Wuthering Heights? Let us know.

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