A new trailer released on September 3 offers a first look at the new Warner Bros. film adaptation of the classic Emily Brontë novel Wuthering Heights. The trailer shows Margot Robbie as female lead Catherine Earnshaw alongside Jacob Elordi as her fiercely passionate but ill-suited love interest Heathcliff.
The film is written, directed, and produced by Emerald Fennell, who also worked with Elordi on Saltburn as the writer and director. The trailer also reveals the film will feature “original songs by Charli XCX” for the soundtrack.
The plot of the original novel is written from the point of view of diary entries from a tenant of Heathcliff who asks his housekeeper to tell him about Heathcliff. The housekeeper then recalls the great deal of drama that happened between Heathcliff and the Earnshaw family over the years, including his relationship with Catherine, her marriage to another man, and Heathcliff’s eventual revenge on them all.
The trailer, however, seems to focus on the erotic elements of Catherine and Heathcliff’s relationship, which many fans of the original novel have claimed oversexualizes what is actually a very dark story.
“Is this in the book? I don’t remember this kind of conversation,” one Instagram user commented on a clip of Heathcliff asking “do you want me to stop?” while reaching out to touch Catherine.
The trailer’s steamy scenes, alongside the film’s Valentine’s Day release date, seem to portray the film as both sexy and romantic.
“Emily Brontë did NOT write this for a 50 Shades of Bridgerton crossover,” another Instagram user commented in annoyance on another clip of the trailer.
Another point of controversy amongst fans has been whether or not Charli XCX’s musical accompaniment is appropriate for an adaptation of a novel published in 1847. “Nothing ruins a period piece quite like electronic music,” another user wrote in the comments of the same clip of the trailer.
However, perhaps the largest point of controversy about the upcoming film has been the casting of Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff. Many literary scholars believe from descriptions within the novel that Brontë meant for Heathcliff to be a man of color.
Michael Stewart, the director of the Brontë Writing Centre, shared with The Telegraph, “I feel quite strongly that Emily’s intention was that he was either black or mixed-race and there are lots of clues in the text to suggest that.”
Many fans seem to agree, filling social media clips of the trailer with comments questioning the casting choice. “Heathcliff isn’t white; he’s literally described as a dark skinned Romani boy,” one TikTok user commented on the trailer there.
In contrast, others, especially fans of Emerald’s work, have expressed their excitement for the film. “If Emerald knows anything, it’s how to market a movie. Her and her team killed it with Saltburn, I can’t wait to see what she does with Wuthering Heights!” one Instagram user commented under the movie poster.
