Wuthering Heights: How Is The Movie Different To The Novel?
Wuthering Heights: How Is The Movie Different To The Novel?
The classic novel by Emily Brontë has had many adaptations produced over the years, but Emerald Fennel’s 2026 adaptation starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi is very different from the original. From modernising the outfits to missing characters, here’s some changes Fennel made to the original, tragic tale.
Wuthering Heights trailer here.
From Saltburn to her 2026 adaptation of Wuthering Heights, there is no doubt that Emerald Fennel has turned heads with both of her movie releases. However, despite making $83million globally on opening weekend, Wuthering Heights has received ALOT of backlash ahead of its release on February 13, with many people commenting on its “depravity” and complete difference to the original novel.
Credit: Rebecca Burton-Logan, made on Canva using free background and Letterboxd reviews.
When asked about the film, Fennel stated she had first read the novel aged 14 and hadn’t read it since, filling in the gaps with what she thought she remembered. However, when she returned to the book once more, the details she thought were there, were not. Her intentions towards the adaptation was to create a version through the perspective of her younger self. In an interview she said: “ I wanted to make something that made me feel like I felt when I first read it, which means that it’s an emotional response to something. It’s like Primal. Sexual.”
But after Saltburn, are we really surprised by this?
I asked Pavla Rumenova, a theatre producer with experience in creative industries management about her opinions on the changes from book to movie.
”Wuthering Heights is one of my favourite movies every and before going to see the movie, everyone around me told me I was going to hate it, So I did initially have that pre-conception going in. However when I first went in, it did very clearly say at the start that the movie was based on the book, So I think for me that was a key factor and it kind of did the work for me because I thought well it’s not going to be accurate as it’s a reimagination of the story, so I watched it with an open mind. I think the cinematography was absolutely beautiful, the use of visual storytelling, colour, the motifs throughout was just very well done”.
Heathcliff and his origin story:
In the novel we learn that Heathcliff is found by Mr Earnshaw in Liverpool and he is described as “dark-skinned” which links to the bad treatment he receives from majority of the other characters in the story – the main antagonist being Hindley Earnshaw, Catherine’s brother. In Fennel’s version, There is no Hindley and Jacob Elordi – a white man – is casted as Heathcliff. Many fans of the novel were deeply disappointed with this as it takes away the theme of prejudice – which is a key theme of the story. When Fennel was asked about the casting of Heathcliff, she insisted that Elordi was chosen as he “looked like the heathcliff on the front of my first copy of Wuthering Heights”.
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”Jacob Elordi being cast as Heathcliff when Heathcliff is a man of colour is definitely questionable in 2026, especially because it very clearly states in the book that he is a man of colour, it just makes me think why? However, I do think that that was a marketing strategy because they knew he would sell, they knew Margot Robbie would sell, so for them it was casting with that in mind – a commercial mindset”.
The ‘missing parts’ of the story
Catherine dies during childbirth in the book, leaving her daughter Cathy Linton behind. Cathy then goes onto join a love triangle between her, Hareton Earnshaw and Linton Heathcliff – Hindley and Heathcliffs son – which leads to Heathcliff Acquiring both properties. In the adaptation, Catherine’s dies of sepsis as a result of a miscarriage, leaving just Edgar and Heathcliff behind. Some viewers thought maybe a part 2 would be imminent, however the rest of the story cannot be told without Catherine’s daughter as she plays the main role, so unfortunately there will probably not be a part 2 unless some sort of miracle occurs! As for the characters, the prominent roles of Hindley and Mr Lockwood were missing. Mr Lockwood is a crucial role in the book as he is the primary narrator of the story – he is the tenant of Heathcliff and he portrays a very socially arrogant and oblivious character who is told these stories by Nelly – the housekeeper.
”I did not think it was going to end there as that’s not where the book ends, I thought it would have a broader view, maybe explore the impact of Cathy’s death on Heathcliff. As for the missing characters, I think the director has went with her own perspective – She’s been very inspired by it and wanted to focus on the love story and the romance going on between Cathy and Heathcliff. To me that’s what the movie was, it was really heavily focused on Cathy and Heathcliff which is why they didn’t explore and include the characters that are missing”.
I also asked Tracy Logan, a viewer who was a fan of the movie but had not read the book.
” The story felt complete in its own, I don’t think you would think anything was missing unless you had read the book and were expecting something else”
Historical inaccuracies – Costumes
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Don’t get me wrong, Cathy’s outfits were absolutely stunning throughout the movie and the red on white symbolism was beautiful, but they don’t match up to be historically accurate. For example, the lacing up of the corset on bare skin. In the 18th century, women wore garments under their corsets named a chemise. This is a smock type dress usually made out of fabrics such as linen and cotton. Despite the inaccuracy of this, it doesn’t really affect the storyline as such.
“[The dresses] to show that Cathy was coming into wealth were very exaggerated and unrealistic for the time period – even for now – but I just saw this as reimagination.”
“The outfits were very unexpected, I watch a lot of period dramas and they’re usually fairly accurate from what I know about those times – but the dresses were very out there – they were stunning.”
Most Movies and shows are different to the books, whether it’s a lot or a little. Next time you see a movie based from a book you like, take a moment and ask yourself, is this different to the book?
