Wuthering Heights (2026 film)
Wuthering Heights is a 2026 romantic drama film written and directed by Emerald Fennell and loosely inspired by Emily Brontë's 1847 novel Wuthering Heights. The film stars Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, respectively, alongside Hong Chau, Shazad Latif, Alison Oliver, Martin Clunes, and Ewan Mitchell in supporting roles.
Wuthering Heights premiered at the at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on January 28, 2026, and will be released in theaters by Warner Bros. Pictures on February 13.
Cast
- Margot Robbie as Catherine "Cathy" Earnshaw
- * Charlotte Mellington as young Catherine Earnshaw
- Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff
- * Owen Cooper as young Heathcliff
- Hong Chau as Nelly Dean
- * Vy Nguyen as young Nelly Dean
- Shazad Latif as Edgar Linton
- Alison Oliver as Isabella Linton
- Martin Clunes as Mr. Earnshaw
- Ewan Mitchell as Joseph
Production
Development and casting
In July 2024, filmmaker Emerald Fennell announced that she would write and direct an adaptation of the 1847 novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. In September 2024, Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi were cast as Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, respectively, with Robbie also producing under her label LuckyChap Entertainment alongside financer MRC. Robbie previously produced Fennell's Promising Young Woman and Saltburn, the latter of which starred Elordi.A bidding war in October led Netflix to bid $150million for the distribution rights. Warner Bros. Pictures, with whom LuckyChap has a first-look deal and made Barbie, ultimately won the rights with a significantly lower offer of $80million after granting Fennell and Robbie's wishes for the film to have a theatrical release and a significant marketing campaign.
Elordi had been contemplating taking a hiatus from acting before Fennell offered him the lead role without having to audition. The decision to cast a white actor as the racially ambiguous Heathcliff, described as resembling a "dark-skinned gipsy" or "Lascar" in the novel, sparked controversy. In November 2024, Hong Chau, Alison Oliver, and Shazad Latif joined the cast. In March 2025, Charlotte Mellington, Owen Cooper, and Vy Nguyen were announced as playing young Catherine, Heathcliff, and Nelly. In September 2025, Fennell defended her decision to cast Elordi, stating that he "looked exactly like the illustration of Heathcliff on the first book that I read."
Filming
took place in the United Kingdom from late January to early April 2025, using 35mm VistaVision cameras. Filming occurred at Sky Studios Elstree, with location shooting in the Yorkshire Dales including the valleys of Arkengarthdale and Swaledale, the village of Low Row, and the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Linus Sandgren was the cinematographer. During the first week of filming, Elordi accidentally gave himself a second degree burn when he stepped back against a steaming hot brass knob while taking a shower and had to go to the hospital.Music
Anthony Willis will compose the score for the film, after having worked with Fennell on Saltburn, with Charli XCX contributing an album of original songs. The lead single, "House" featuring Welsh musician John Cale, was released on November 10, 2025, alongside a music video directed by Mitch Ryan. A second song, "Chains of Love," was released on November 13, coinciding with the film's theatrical trailer, which also featured the song. A third single, "Wall of Sound", was released on January 16th.Release
On January 28, 2026, Wuthering Heights had its world premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre.Wuthering Heights is scheduled for release in the United States and the United Kingdom on February 13, 2026, on the eve of Valentine's Day. It is slated to release in IMAX theaters.