‘Be with me always – take any form – drive me mad!’ read the first teaser image of the upcoming Wuthering Heights movie, shared by Oscar-winning actor, writer and director Emerald Fennell on X in July 2024. And drive us mad she has. The quote, uttered by Heathcliff after the death of Catherine, announced her new film adaptation of Emily Brontë's gothic romance novel Wuthering Heights, which was originally released in 1847 under her nom-de-plume ‘Ellis Bell.’ To date, there have already been 14 film and television adaptations of Wuthering Heights, including a movie made in 1992 starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche.
The new interpretation from the Saltburn director is scheduled for release on February 13th 2026—just in time for Valentine's day—is set to be radically different than both the source material and its preceding adaptations. Early reports, teasers and trailers so far suggest a provocative, racy and divisive adaptation that has already caused a flurry of turbulent chatter online, months before the film hits cinemas.
As a brand new trailer is released, here are all the details that we know about the Wuthering Heights movie so far.
The new official trailer which was released on Thursday 13th, exactly three months before the film hits the cinemas, opens with Margot Robbie's Catherine walking through the windy West Yorkshire moors and showcases Linus Sundgren's beautiful cinematography. A montage depicting Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi) and Catherine's intense, tortuous love affair is soundtracked by Charlie XCX's ‘Chains of Love’, a track from the accompanying album to be released with the film in February. Flashbacks to Catherine and Heathcliff as children provide glimpses of Owen Cooper, incidentally the youngest male Primetime Emmy-winner, who plays the latter. In the new trailer, viewers can also catch a better look at some of the anachronistic fashion that caused a stir when the first on-set photos of Margot Robbie in a wedding dress were seen.
The new official trailer comes two months after the first teaser dropped back in September, giving a glimpse at the film. Soundtracked to Charli XCX's everything is romantic, the first teaser opens on the iconic wily, windy moors of Yorkshire, and shows clips of a tightly corseted Robbie as Catherine, and a sullen, long-haired Elordi as Heathcliff, hinting at their intensely passionate connection with various suggestive imagery, from bread kneading to cracked egg yolks. We also see a variety of opulent sets, including one with a striking red gloss floor and what appears to be a mantlepiece crafted from hundreds of hands.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë is a tale of intense passion, revenge and the destructive power of love, set against the wild, untamed backdrop of the Yorkshire moors. The novel follows the tumultuous relationship between Heathcliff, an orphan adopted by the Earnshaw family, and Catherine Earnshaw, the spirited daughter of the household. Their obsessive love defies social conventions but ultimately leads to betrayal, heartbreak and vengeance that spans generations. Heathcliff's thirst for retribution against those who wronged him shapes the fates of both the Earnshaw and Linton families. Through its dual narrators, Mr. Lockwood and the housekeeper Nelly Dean, the novel explores themes of class, nature versus nurture, and the cyclical nature of suffering. The story's gothic atmosphere and complex characters have made it a timeless classic.
"Did anyone actually read the book before deciding this?" asked the Independent's film critic Clarisse Loughrey when she saw the casting decisions for Heathcliff and Catherine. And she wasn't alone, with reams of Brontë fans taking to social media to protest the decision for Hollywood mega-stars Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi to take on the Yorkshire protagonists.
Their complaints were manifold and included the duo's Australian vernacular and the challenges associated with a late 18th-century Yorkshire accent. With such a wide roster of British actors (many with authentic Yorkshire accents), Emerald's decision to cast the Barbie and Saltburn stars feels questionable. Several actors with legendary status have taken on the role of Heathcliff, including Richard Burton and Laurence Olivier (pictured below in his role).
Many also pointed out that Catherine is in her teens (Margot is currently in her mid-30s) and Heathcliff is described as around 40 (Jacob is 27). Also flagged by critics is the fact that Heathcliff is described as ‘dark-skinned’ in the 1847 novel, which would point towards non-white casting, particularly given the ostensible push for diversifying the film industry.
Owen Cooper, the breakout star of recent hit Adolescence, has been confirmed to play a young Heathcliff. Having already proven he can bring depth and darkness to a role, he seems like a great fit for a younger version of the character.
Other cast members include Shazad Latif as Edgar Linton, Alison Oliver as Isabella Linton, Hong Chau as Nelly Dean and House of the Dragon star Ewan Mitchell in an unknown role (though our money is on Hindley, Catherine's cruel brother).
Who is the director, Emerald Fennell?
Emerald came through the ranks as an actor, starring in Call the Midwife and The Crown, but is now well-established as a Hollywood auteur. Her directorial debut Promising Young Woman won Best Original Screenplay and Outstanding British Film at the Oscars. Her next picture was the haunting satire Saltburn, whose raunchy sequences and provocative social commentary proved divisive for audiences.
Where is Wuthering Heights being filmed?
This wild and tragic love story is set against the backdrop of the wild Yorkshire moors, which contribute to the gothic and supernatural aspects of the novel. In April, as filming concluded, the BBC reported that filming had taken place in the moors of Arkengarthdale, Swaledale and the village Low Row. Filming on the designed and built sets was done at Elstree Studios.
The town of Haworth and the surrounding areas play a particular role in the novel as Brontë was born and lived in the area. Her sister Charlotte's well-known gothic novel Jane Eyre was set in a similar area for this reason. Fans of the book will eagerly await the announcement of which houses will stand in for the two main properties, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange.
Warner Bros. confirmed that the latest remake of the classic novel will be released the day before Valentine's Day 2026, the 13th February. So we have another few months to wait to see whether this team of Hollywood mega-stars can carry this off.
