'Wuthering Heights' Casting Director Defends Margot Robbie & Jacob Elordi Controversy: "It’s Just A Book"

What is 'Wuthering Heights' about?

Brontë's Wuthering Heights takes place in the late 18th century in remote Yorkshire and centers on the relationship between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, who is an orphan. In the book, Heathcliff is also portrayed as having dark skin, hair, and eyes, which is why readers suspected he was of Roman or "Gypsy" descent. This would help explain the prejudice that Heathcliff faces throughout the story.

Why are people upset that Jacob Elordi was cast in Emerald Fennell's 'Wuthering Heights' adaption? 

So, critics have suggested that Jacob Elordi wasn't the right choice to depict Heathcliff, given his ethnicity. Moreover, he and Margot Robbie, who are 27 and 34 years old, respectively, have both come under fire due to their ages, since the main characters are in their early twenties for most of the book.

Casting director Kharmel Cochrane responded to the backlash at the Sands film festival in Scotland, claiming there was "no need to be accurate" since the material inspiring Emerald Fennell's newest film adaptation is "just a book," according to Deadline.

This statement seemingly struck a nerve with numerous literary lovers, as a recent Reddit thread regarding Kharmel's response sparked a lot of outrage and called into question the respect Brontë's novel was being afforded.

"It sounds like she [Kharmel] has lots of respect for the material and isn't just doing it for money," sarcastically commented one Redditor.

"What was the point of adapting it if they weren't gonna actually adapt it accurately?" asked another, "They'll probably change entire plot points to make it unrecognizable."

"The casting decision is one thing, but that dismissive attitude makes me angry. I won't be watching, considering it's 'just a film,'" added a third.

Now, Emerald Fennell's adaptation of Wuthering Heights isn't the first to ignore character traits laid out by Brontë in the original book. In fact, Heathcliff has previously been played by actors such as Ralph Fiennes, Tom Hardy, and Timothy Dalton.

Still, the rest of Kharmel's remarks from the Sands film festival have left a sour taste in many people's mouths.

"There was one Instagram comment that said the casting director should be shot. But just wait until you see it, and then you can decide whether you want to shoot me or not. But you really don't need to be accurate. It's just a book. That is not based on real life. It's all art," she stated.

"There's definitely going to be some English Lit fans that are not going to be happy. Wait until you see the set design, because that is even more shocking. And there may or may not be a dog collar in it."

When does the 'Wuthering Heights' movie come out?

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film will be released on February 13, 2026. How well it's received by audiences in the wake of such casting controversy remains to be seen.