Margot Robbie is speaking out about the online backlash around her upcoming Wuthering Heights adaptation.
The announcement that Robbie and Jacob Elordi would be starring in Emerald Fennell's adaptation of Emily Brontë's novel sparked massive fan reaction, but not all of it was positive. Many questioned whether Robbie and Elordi, who play Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff respectively, had the right look, age, or chemistry for the classic romance.
In the original 1847 novel, Catherine is brunette and a teenager, opposite to Robbie, who is blonde and 35 years old. As for Heathcliff, he is described as a "dark-skinned" outsider of ambiguous heritage in Brontë's novel, drawing even more outrage online for Elordi's casting. However, Robbie is not staying silent.
In a recent interview with British Vogue, the Oscar-nominated actress, who is also producing the film, addressed the criticism surrounding both her and Elordi's roles in the film. Robbie defended the casting directly, acknowledging that audiences have little to no information about the film, and urging them to reserve judgment until they see it. Read Robbie's comment below:
I get it, there’s nothing else to go off at this point until people see the movie.
Robbie also spoke about Heathcliff's casting, revealing that after seeing Elordi's early work on the film, she became fully convinced that he was the right choice for Heathcliff, calling him 'Our generation’s Daniel Day-Lewis.' Read her comments below:
I saw him play Heathcliff. And he is Heathcliff. I’d say, just wa it. 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.
In the interview, it was revealed that it was Elordi who first inspired Fennell to adapt Wuthering Heights after she saw him with sideburns on the set of Saltburn and thought he looked like "Heathcliff on the cover of the book that I’ve had since I was a teenager." Additionally, it was confirmed that Fennell aged up Catherine in her adaptation, now placing her in her mid-20s to early 30s.
The story of Wuthering Heights follows Catherine and Heathcliff as they navigate their forbidden, destructive love in the Yorkshire moors. This will be the 11th adaptation of the gothic, tragic love story, with the last adaptation being BBC Radio 3's 2011 film starring Kaya Scodelario and James Howson.
Charli XCX composed the soundtrack album for the film, recently releasing a song titled "House" in collaboration with former The Velvet Underground member John Cale.
Wuthering Heights will be released in theaters on February 13, 2026.
