Emerald Fennell’s upcoming book-to-screen adaptation Wuthering Heights hasn’t even come out yet, and fans are already talking. Not only has the shock factor come from early screenings calling it “aggressively provocative,” but also from the casting choice of Jacob Elordi that's made fans very upset. The English filmmaker got real on why Elordi was cast in the 2026 movie release despite fan backlash, calling the actor’s performance “very surprising.”
When it was announced that Jacob Elordi would be portraying Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights, the Australian actor received backlash for being “whitewashed,” since Heathcliff is described as “dark-skinned” in the Emily Brontë book. Emerald Fennell told BBC why she wanted him for her upcoming book-to-screen adaptation:
