A new, full-length trailer for Emerald Fennell's highly anticipated film adaptation of Wuthering Heights has just been released, giving audiences their most detailed look yet at this bold reinterpretation of the literary classic.
A Modern Twist on a Gothic Tale
This latest preview, reported by the Express, presents a significant departure from the brief teaser unveiled a few months ago. It delves deeper into the core of Emily Brontë's 1847 novel: a story of forbidden passion, revenge, and longing, all set against the wild, dramatic backdrop of the Yorkshire moors. Director Fennell, known for her work on Saltburn and Promising Young Woman, is eschewing the traditional costume drama aesthetic in favour of a more modern visual style, complete with a soundtrack curated by pop icon Charli XCX.
However, this fresh approach has already generated a mixed response from critics and fans alike. Much of the discussion has centred on the original casting choices, with Barbie star Margot Robbie taking on the role of the headstrong Cathy and Jacob Elordi of Euphoria and Frankenstein fame portraying the brooding Heathcliff.
Is Wuthering Heights a Love Story?
For those unfamiliar with the source material, the central question often asked is whether Wuthering Heights is a love story. The answer is a definitive yes, but it is a profoundly tragic and destructive love.
The narrative follows Heathcliff, an orphan discovered in Liverpool by Mr Earnshaw and brought to live at the remote Wuthering Heights. He forms a deep, inseparable bond with Earnshaw's daughter, Cathy. Despite their intense connection, their romance is doomed from the start due to Heathcliff's lowly social standing. In a pivotal moment of betrayal, Cathy chooses to marry the wealthy and refined Edgar Linton, confessing her true love for Heathcliff to the housekeeper, Nelly.
After overhearing part of this conversation, a heartbroken Heathcliff disappears. He returns three years later as a wealthy man, intent on exacting revenge on everyone who wronged him, including Cathy. His vengeance unfolds through a calculated courtship with Edgar's sister, Isabella, and by exploiting the weaknesses of Cathy's brother, Hindley.
A Legacy of Haunting and Heartbreak
The story descends further into tragedy as Cathy falls gravely ill. Heathcliff secretly visits her just after she gives birth to a daughter, also named Cathy, and the two share a final, passionate reconciliation before her death. Devastated, Heathcliff begs her spirit to haunt him.
The tale then leaps forward, following Heathcliff's manipulative plot to force a marriage between his own sickly son, Linton, and Cathy's young daughter. Ultimately, the cycle of vengeance and misery only concludes with Heathcliff's own death. Local legend then claims that the ghosts of Heathcliff and Cathy are finally at peace, wandering the moors together for eternity.
While Fennell's film is expected to take creative liberties with the plot and its visual presentation, the core of this timeless, turbulent romance remains. Wuthering Heights is scheduled for release in cinemas across the UK on February 14, 2026.
