Margot Robbie as Cathy in Wuthering Heights
The trailer for Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights has dropped and fans are not impressed. Margot Robbie takes on Cathy, Jacob Elordi plays Heathcliff, and Charli XCX provides the soundtrack. But instead of gothic drama, the teaser looks more like a steamy spin off of Fifty Shades of Grey.
The clip is filled with heavy breathing, close shots of Robbie, and even a bizarre scene with a finger in a fish’s mouth. Online comments compared it to Saltburn with one viewer joking “I did not know Wuthering Heights was the fourth instalment in the 50 Shades franchise.”
Casting has sparked fresh debate. In the novel Heathcliff is described as dark skinned and marked as an outsider. Once again the role has gone to a white actor. Elordi’s age, along with Robbie’s, also raises questions since Cathy and Heathcliff are supposed to be teenagers when the drama begins.
Even the costumes have caused uproar. Robbie is shown being yanked into a corset without the proper layers, a detail historians insist is wrong. For period drama fans this feels careless and adds to the frustration.
The backlash is loud and clear. Many expected a faithful take on Emily Brontë’s gothic story of obsession and cruelty. Instead they feel they are being offered glossy edits, sensual scenes, and little attention to the novel’s themes. The film has not yet premiered but its reputation is already in stormy weather.