After a few years of anticipation, Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights will finally make its theatrical debut alongside 2026 movie releases this coming weekend. While the film has yet to hit cinemas, fans are already gushing about certain moments from trailers and TV spots. So, when CinemaBlend had a chat with stars about one memorable romantic scene in the movie, Jacob Elordi cautioning audiences about what not do, but was really surprising was his mention of MTV's classic franchise Jackass.
During a new interview with Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie, our own Hannah Saulic asked the leads if they had any tips for fans of the movie who might want to recreate the one-arm lift Heathcliff does to Cathy during the movie. Here’s what Robbie said:
I’m not going to reveal the movie magic secret to how we actually did that shot, but, yeah, it was all Jacob. He did that.
Considering the sensuality that radiates from that scene, the notion of fans wanting to replicate it isn't all that far-fetched. On the surface, it might seem like a romantic way for a person to physically embrace their partner. However, Elordi doesn’t think the move should become a TikTok trend anytime soon. In his words:
They should put like a Jackass thing before the movie like, ‘Do NOT try this at home’.
I'd think that picking someone up with one arm would go into a different category than the antics on the slapstick comedy franchise starring Johnny Knoxville like jumping on a pogo stick naked or facing off with a bull (leading to literal brain injury). Still, we'll heed Elordi’s words.
However, in the same breadth, since Elordi and Robbie laughed and joked around in our interview and made mention of “movie magic” (you can watch their comments in the video above), I think it also might be possible that Elordi had some lift support on set? Here's what else Robbie said:
You just did so many curls to prepare for that… just on the right arm, too.
While we may not get the “how” behind Elordi’s swoonworthy one-arm lift anytime soon, part of the reason the scene must exist is to allow the audience to revel in the fantasy of the romantic story. That said, we must also warn people that the original story the film is based on is rather tragic.
As it goes with many book-to-screen adaptations, there’s been a lot of discourse from fans about how the movie compares to Emily Brontë's original novel. That's especially true in regard to the backlash linked to Elordi's casting as Heathcliff from within some circles. Regardless, Fennell’s movie is receiving mostly positive reviews from critics.
When Margot Robbie talked about screening the film for her own girl friends, she said they were “frothing at the mouth” like “rabid dogs”, and I'd like to think Jacob Elordi and his upper-arm strength is one big reason why. Check out the full arm-lift scene for yourself when Wuthering Heights hits theaters this Friday, February 13. And, in the meantime, read up on what Emerald Fennell said about the movie’s R-rating during our exclusive interview with the writer/director.
