Fans criticise casting of Jacob Elordi as “dark skinned” Heathcliff in Emerald Fennall’s new ‘Wuthering Heights’ film

25 September, 2024

Jacob Elordi

Fans have been reacting online to the casting of Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff in Emerald Fennall’s new Wuthering Heights film.

Earlier this week (September 23), it was announced that Elordi would star in the film as Heathcliff alongside Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw in Fennall’s adaptation of Emily Bronte’s 1847 novel.

Fennell will write, direct and produce the new version of for her third film, following 2020’s Promising Young Woman and 2023’s Saltburn, the latter of which she worked on with Elordi. Meanwhile, she also appeared alongside Robbie in last year’s summer blockbuster Barbie. 

The book details on the tumultuous relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff after they meet while living at the titular residence. However, Elordi’s casting has received a backlash because of Heathcliff’s ethnicity as he is described as “dark skinned” in the book.

Commenting on Elordi’s casting, Michael Stewart, director of the Brontë Writing Centre, told The Daily Telegraph: “With Wuthering Heights, you’ve had many years of white actors playing the more ambiguous ethnic character… But things are different now, the way we represent certain people in art and culture comes with a responsibility now that wasn’t there 20 years ago.”

Dr Claire O’Callaghan, editor-in-chief of the official journal of the Brontë Society, also told the Telegraph: “I guess the danger of this – of casting a white actor – particularly in the cultural climate, is that it overlooks the ambiguity that’s there.”

On social media, the casting received a much greater backlash. One user wrote: “Heathcliff is described as a dark-skinned brown man in the book and a major plot point is that he was subjected to racist abuse by his adopted family. But yeah sure Jacob Elordi is perfect!”

Another added: “Why does every adaptation apart from 2011 movie ignore the fact that Heathcliff is described as dark skinned?”

You can see some more of the reaction to the casting here:

Fennell first announced her plans to adapt Wuthering Heights as her third feature in July, posting a surprise announcement to social media with a graphic reading, “Be with me always – Take any form – Drive me mad,” a line from the novel.

Robbie had previously praised Fennell’s directorial skills, telling Variety in an interview in January, “Emerald immerses you into a world so quickly. She’s so masterful at tone and plot.

“She gets in your brain and she kind of taps into the most depraved parts of it, so that you’re complicit in the story. That’s the watercooler moment — the thing that people are talking about two weeks afterwards.”

There have been numerous screen adaptations of Wuthering Heights, including director William Wyler’s 1939 version that starred Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon. More recent versions include a 2009 miniseries for ITV starring Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley and a 2011 feature starring Kaya Scodelario and James Howson.

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