Margot Robbie has publicly addressed the significant fan backlash surrounding the casting of Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff in the upcoming adaptation of Emily Brontë's classic novel, Wuthering Heights. The Barbie star, who plays Catherine Earnshaw in director Emerald Fennell's film, has urged sceptical fans to reserve judgement until they see the movie.
Addressing the Casting Controversy
The announcement that Robbie and Elordi would lead the adaptation of the 1850 literary classic was met with immediate disapproval from many quarters. Critics and fans alike argued that the actors were the wrong age and, in Elordi's case, the wrong race for their roles. The character of Heathcliff is famously described in Brontë's book as having dark hair, dark eyes, and dark skin, with a background believed to be Roma or Gypsy.
This sentiment was echoed by The Independent's film critic Clarisse Loughrey, who pointedly asked at the time of the casting news: "Did anyone actually read the book before deciding this?"
In a new cover story for British Vogue, Robbie acknowledged the criticism. "I get it, there's nothing else to go off at this point until people see the movie," she stated. However, she expressed unwavering confidence in her co-star and the production, telling fans: "I'd say, just wait. Trust me, you'll be happy."
Robbie's Full-Throated Defence of Elordi
Robbie's defence of Elordi was both passionate and specific. "I saw him play Heathcliff. And he is Heathcliff," she asserted. She placed his performance within a prestigious lineage of actors who have taken on the role, from Laurence Olivier and Richard Burton to Ralph Fiennes and Tom Hardy.
Her praise for the Euphoria and Saltburn actor reached its peak with a bold comparison: "I honestly think he's our generation's Daniel Day-Lewis."
Interestingly, the story reveals that Elordi was the direct inspiration for the entire film. Director Emerald Fennell conceived the idea while filming Saltburn, upon seeing Elordi in costume as Felix Catton. "I was like, 'Oh my God, it's the Heathcliff on the cover of the book that I've had since I was a teenager,'" Fennell told British Vogue.
Fennell's Vision and the Film's Provocative Tone
Fennell, the Oscar-winning director of Promising Young Woman, also defended her decision to cast Robbie as Catherine, a character she aged up by roughly a decade from the teenage Cathy of the novel. She described Cathy as a "wilful, mean, recreational sadist" and a "provocateur," requiring an actor with immense charisma.
"Margot comes with big dick energy. That's what Cathy needs," Fennell stated bluntly.
The film's first teaser, released earlier this year, hinted at a passionate and intense retelling. Early test screenings have described the film as "sexually explicit" and "tonally abrasive," with one audience member drawing parallels to the "stylised depravity" of Fennell's Saltburn.
However, Robbie offered a slightly different perspective, suggesting the core of the film is romance rather than pure provocation. "Everyone's expecting this to be very, very raunchy. I think people will be surprised," she said. "It's more romantic than provocative... This is a big epic romance." She compared the intended emotional impact to classic love stories like The Notebook and The English Patient.
The supporting cast for the highly anticipated film includes Hong Chau as Nelly Dean, Alison Oliver as Isabella Linton, Shazad Latif as Edgar Linton, and Owen Cooper as the younger Heathcliff.
Wuthering Heights is scheduled for theatrical release on 13 February 2026.
