Hollywood star Margot Robbie has candidly discussed the anxieties of returning to a major film role just three months after the birth of her first child, while also teasing the romantic and provocative nature of her upcoming project, a new adaptation of Wuthering Heights.
Balancing Motherhood and a Period Epic
In a revealing interview with British Vogue, the 35-year-old Australian actress explained she began filming director Emerald Fennell's highly anticipated take on Emily Brontë's classic novel a mere three months postpartum, after welcoming her son with husband Tom Ackerley in October 2024. Robbie admitted to feeling "in a very different headspace" and confessed to director Fennell, "What if I'm not prepared enough?"
Emerald Fennell, known for her stylised and provocative filmmaking in 2023's Saltburn, reportedly helped alleviate the star's anxiety. "She kept saying, 'I don't want you to prepare. I just need you to be in the moment,'" Robbie shared. "Which was a lovely way of relieving my anxiety. It was about being in my body as opposed to my head."
A Romantic, Not Just Raunchy, Adaptation
The film, which casts Robbie as the passionate Catherine Earnshaw opposite Jacob Elordi's Heathcliff, has generated significant buzz for its expected steamy content following Fennell's previous work. However, Robbie clarified expectations in her interview. "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," she stated, describing the project as a "big epic romance."
Robbie believes the film will fill a void for audiences, citing a lack of grand romantic movies since the likes of The Notebook or The English Patient. She praised Fennell's unique ability to elicit a powerful physical reaction from viewers, whether through titillation or repulsion.
'Weak at the Knees' Moments with Jacob Elordi
Despite downplaying expectations of extreme explicitness, Robbie did shed light on several intensely romantic scenes with her co-star that left a profound impact. She recalled one moment where Elordi's Heathcliff picks up Cathy "with only one arm!" and another where he shields her face from the rain.
"It almost made me weak at the knees," Robbie admitted. "It was the little things that we loved as two women in our 30s, and this movie is primarily for people in our demographic. These epic romances and period pieces aren't often made by women."
Elordi, speaking to Vogue, paid tribute to his co-star's formidable work ethic, joking she must have a "Time-Turner" to juggle new motherhood, filming, and her producing duties.
Controversy and Early Reactions
The adaptation has not been without pre-release controversy, with some noting deviations from the source material, including the age of Cathy and the skin tone of Heathcliff. Insiders suggest the film is not a direct lift from the book, with Fennell choosing to "lean into the stylised depravity" that defined Saltburn.
According to reports from World of Reel, an early test screening in Dallas, Texas, received a mixed reaction. The film is said to feature intimate and discomforting scenes, including a BDSM-inspired sequence and suggestive imagery. The same report, however, praised the "committed performances" and "great chemistry" between Robbie and Elordi.
Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights is scheduled for release on Valentine's Day, promising to chart the famous love story from romance into madness. The project reimagines the 1850 literary masterpiece born from the tragic life of author Emily Brontë, who channelled her own suffering into the raw, windswept tale of the Yorkshire Moors.
