Margot Robbie has defended Emerald Fennell’s upcoming adaptation of Wuthering Heights, which has drawn backlash months ahead of release over casting decisions and narrative alterations. Robbie stars as Cathy opposite Jacob Elordi’s Heathcliff.
Speaking to Vogue, Robbie acknowledged the early criticism. “I get it … there’s nothing else to go off at this point until people see the movie.”
Much of the debate has focused on Elordi taking on a role that Emily Brontë described as “dark-skinned” and a “lascar,” a term historically used for South Asian sailors or soldiers. “I saw him play Heathcliff, and he is Heathcliff. I’d say, just wait. Trust me, you’ll be happy,” Robbie defended Elordi.
“It’s a character that has this lineage of other great actors who’ve played him, from Laurence Olivier to Richard Burton and Ralph Fiennes to Tom Hardy. To be a part of that is special. He’s incredible and I believe in him so much. I honestly think he’s our generation’s Daniel Day-Lewis,” she added.
Robbie’s own casting has faced criticism, with the novel depicting Cathy as a dark-haired teenager, while Robbie is in her mid-30s and appears blond in early promotional material. “I both understood her and didn’t, in a way that drew me to her. It’s this puzzle you have to work out,” Robbie said about her character.
Casting director Kharmel Cochrane previously remarked, “There was one Instagram comment that said the casting director should be shot. But just wait till you see it, and then you can decide whether you want to shoot me or not. But you really don’t need to be accurate. It’s just a book. That is not based on real life. It’s all art.”
Robbie, who starred in and produced 2023 blockbuster Barbie, is also a producer on the new adaptation.
Robbie also sought to dispel speculation that the film is defined by its erotic elements. “Everyone’s expecting this to be very, very raunchy. I think people will be surprised. Not to say there aren’t sexual elements and that it’s not provocative – it definitely is provocative – but it’s more romantic than provocative. This is a big epic romance.”
Robbie added that she and Fennell designed the film with women in their 30s in mind. “These epic romances and period pieces aren’t often made by women.”