Fennell Recasts 'Wuthering Heights' and Ends Film at Cathy's Death
Emerald Fennell's 2026 film focuses on Catherine and Heathcliff, ends with Cathy's death after an apparent miscarriage, and removes the novel's second-generation storyline.
Overview
The film, released in theaters on 13 February, ends with Catherine dying from sepsis after an apparent miscarriage, reviewers said.
Emerald Fennell's adaptation trims the novel to its first half and omits the second-generation storyline and Heathcliff's later revenge plot, critics wrote.
Some reviewers criticized Jacob Elordi's casting as Heathcliff for erasing the character's book-described dark or Lascar identity, while others praised the film's lavish costumes and sensual direction, early coverage said.
Margot Robbie, 35, and Jacob Elordi, 28, star as Catherine and Heathcliff, and the release has prompted sold-out costume screenings around the U.S., early coverage said.
Fennell said she thinks of the film as a one-off and that because Catherine never gives birth in her version, she nixes the possibility of a sequel.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the film as a stylized, polarizing reinterpretation that favors sensational aesthetics over emotional fidelity. Editorial choices—prominent evaluative terms ('overheated,' 'reductive'), prioritizing the director's defense, and foregrounding changes to the novel's ending—collectively steer readers toward skepticism about the adaptation's heart despite admiring its boldness.
Sources (9)
FAQ
Fennell's film uses a linear narrative focused on the first half of the novel, ending with Catherine's death from sepsis after a miscarriage, omitting the second-generation storyline, Heathcliff's revenge, and supernatural elements like ghosts.[1]
Mr. Earnshaw and Hindley are combined into one abusive, drunken gambler character; Cathy has a deceased older brother instead of living Hindley; Nelly is reimagined as a villainous figure who burns Heathcliff's letters and mistreats Catherine.[1][2]
Critics noted that Elordi's casting erases Heathcliff's dark or Lascar (South Asian) identity as described in the book, opting for a lighter-skinned actor.
Fennell aimed for a personal, emotional response based on her teenage memories, emphasizing primal, sexual elements, wish fulfillment, and the lovers' inability to connect, while treating it as a one-off without sequel potential by ending at Catherine's death.
Margot Robbie stars as Catherine and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, with praise for lavish costumes and sensual direction but criticism for casting and book changes; it prompted sold-out costume screenings.[1]
History
- 5 sources
