Margot Robbie Reassures Fans About Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell’s ‘Wuthering Heights’:”Trust Me, You’ll Be Happy”
Emerald Fennell is bringing a new take on Wuthering Heights to the big screen. The upcoming Gothic psychological drama, loosely inspired by Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel, will star Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff.
The film also features Hong Chau, Shazad Latif, Alison Oliver, Martin Clunes, and Ewan Mitchell in supporting roles. Warner Bros. Pictures is set to release the movie in the United Kingdom on February 11, 2026, and in the United States on February 13.
Margot Robbie recently spoke to Vogue about the casting of Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff. Robbie acknowledged some of the concerns from fans about changes in the characters.
On the topic of her own character, she said about the chatter over Catherine being blonde rather than brunette, “I get it. There’s nothing else to go off at this point until people see the movie.” Fennell has also mentioned that her version of Catherine is older than in the novel, in her mid-20s to early 30s.
When asked about Elordi’s casting, Robbie had high praise. “I saw him play Heathcliff. And he is Heathcliff. I’d say, just wait. Trust me, you’ll be happy. It’s a character that has this lineage of other great actors who’ve played him, from Laurence Olivier to Richard Burton and Ralph Fiennes to Tom Hardy. To be a part of that is special. He’s incredible and I believe in him so much. I honestly think he’s our generation’s Daniel Day-Lewis.”
Elordi had been considering a break from acting before Fennell offered him the lead role without an audition. However, his casting as Heathcliff, a character described in the novel as racially ambiguous, sparked some controversy.
Fennell defended her choice in September, saying that he “looked exactly like the illustration of Heathcliff on the first book that I read.”
Inspired by the greatest love story of all time. New trailer for #WutheringHeightsMovie, in cinemas this Valentine’s Day.
— Warner Bros. UK (@WarnerBrosUK) November 13, 2025
Pre-order Charli xcx's new album "Wuthering Heights" https://t.co/iU89mW4Vqn pic.twitter.com/TKT4ZBz0yJ
The cast also includes Charlotte Mellington, Owen Cooper, and Vy Nguyen as the younger versions of Catherine, Heathcliff, and Nelly Dean. Hong Chau, Alison Oliver, and Shazad Latif joined the cast in late 2024, with Martin Clunes and Ewan Mitchell rounding out the ensemble.
Wuthering Heights will hit theaters in mid-February 2026, timed just before Valentine’s Day, giving audiences a dark and romantic story to experience on the big screen.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
