Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights is one of the most haunting works of 19th-century literature, a Gothic tale of doomed love, obsession and generational trauma.
But a new big-screen version of the novel has sparked uproar before it’s even reached cinemas, with fans taking to social media to voice anger at Emerald Fennell’s upcoming interpretation.
The Oscar-winning director, best known for Saltburn and Promising Young Woman, has cast Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi in the lead roles of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff. Billed as a lavish, sensual retelling and due to arrive in cinemas on Valentine’s Day 2026, the film is already proving divisive among Brontë purists.
On X (formerly Twitter), passionate readers have been vocal about their disappointment at what they perceive as a betrayal of Brontë’s novel.
One post read: “I wish I did not live to see the day Wuthering Heights, a beautiful gothic novel about the cycle of generational trauma with themes of race, class, religion, mental illness, abuse, etc., was adapted into a white washed dark romance booktok bodice ripper with a hyperpop soundtrack”
Another fan criticised the casting choices: “Wuthering Heights with 35 y/o Catherine, the whitewashed version of Heathcliff. original music by Charli xcx. Emily brontë did not die for this s***.”
Some urged viewers not to let the film overshadow the novel’s true power: “Don’t let that atrocious movie ruin your Wuthering Heights experience. In honor of Emily Brontë’s legacy, read the book, discuss it, spread information about its contents – about how Emily wisely discussed racism, classism, generational trauma, and obsession in the 19th century.”
Others focused on the trailer’s glossy aesthetic, which they felt jarred with the bleak spirit of the novel. “Visually pretty but entirely hollow & wrong. This has nothing to do with Wuthering Heights, looks more like a bodice Ripper / Bridgerton adaptation. I don’t know what Fennell was thinking with this project, it’s truly horrendous and insulting to the source material. Just ew”.
Despite the controversy surrounding its creative direction, one aspect of the production has remained firmly in touch with Brontë’s roots: the locations. While much of the filming took place at Sky Studios Elstree in Hertfordshire, Fennell and her team also ventured into the wild landscapes of northern England to capture the essence of the moors.
According to BBC Countryfile, large parts of the movie were shot in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It is a fitting choice – the book itself is steeped in the atmosphere of the Yorkshire moors, where the unpredictable weather and brooding horizons seem to mirror the passions and violence of its central characters.
The valleys of Arkengarthdale and Swaledale provided dramatic backdrops, while the village of Low Row offered a period-perfect setting. One notable landmark, Surrender Bridge on the Coast to Coast path, features prominently. The site will be familiar to some television audiences – it also appeared in the opening credits of the original All Creatures Great and Small on the BBC.
Filming wasn’t limited to Yorkshire. When production required interiors or more controlled conditions, the cast and crew relocated to Sky Studios Elstree in Hertfordshire, one of the UK’s newest studio complexes.