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Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi have been cast in a new version of Wuthering Heights but not everyone is impressed with the decision.
The new adaptation of the Emily Brontë classic, famously made into a song by Kate Bush, will be directed by Saltburn‘s Emerald Fennell, whose first film Promising Young Woman earned her an Oscar for best original screenplay.
The 1850 novel follows the tribulations of the Earnshaw and Linton families in rural Yorkshire and the trouble caused by the Earnshaw’s foster son, Heathcliff. At this stage, it’s not known how closely Fennell’s version will follow the book.
Elordi, 27, best known for his role in Euphoria and Saltburn, will be taking on the role of Heathcliff. Robbie, 34, will star opposite him as his love interest, Cathy.
The iconic Heathcliff character has been played by the likes of Laurence Olivier, Richard Burton, Ralph Fiennes, Tom Hardy and even Cliff Richard, with Elordi now set to join that pantheon.
However, in the book, the character is described as having dark hair, dark eyes, and dark skin and is believed to be from a Roma or Gypsy background.
While history shows that the miscasting of Heathcliff in film or TV adaptations is nothing new, the news that the Australian Elordi, who has recently played Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppla’s Priscilla has raised eyebrows.
In response, The Independent’s film critic Clarisse Loughrey asked: “Did anyone actually read the book before deciding this?”
Another user on X/Twitter wrote: “Heathcliff is described as a dark-skinned brown man in the book and a major plot point is that he was subjected to racist abuse by his adopted family but yeah sure Jacob Elordi is perfect!”
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A third added: “Heathcliff is described as ‘dark-skinned’ This is SO weird, his being a POC is one of the major themes in the novel??? I hope there’s enough backlash for a recast, this is insane. People just haven’t read the book & it shows.”
Another contentious fact that many have criticised is that Elordi and Robbie are the wrong ages for their characters. Heathcliff is described as being around the age of 40 in the book while Cathy is still a teenager.
One critic wrote: “White Heathcliff and 34-year-old Cathy, and they both look like they belong on Instagram....”
Another said: “This is the most viewbait casting ever. How on earth is she Cathy & him Heathcliff? Looks, age, accents...??? Good English classics are too few leave them alone.”
This will be the first major adaptation of Wuthering Heights since Andrea Arnold’s 2011 film which accurately cast James Howson in the Heathcliff role, in what remains the actor’s only credit to date.
