Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights criticised for casting Jacob Elordi as “dark-skinned” Heathcliff

26 September 2024, 17:44

By Sam Prance

Jacob Elordi will star opposite Margot Robbie in Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights.

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Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights is facing backlash after it's been revealed that Jacob Elordi will play Heathcliff.

In July 2024, director Emerald Fennell announced that she will be following up 2023's Saltburn with a film adaptation of Emily Brontë's beloved classic novel Wuthering Heights. It has since been confirmed that Margot Robbie will play the role of Cathy and Jacob Elordi will star opposite Margot as Cathy's brooding love interest Heathcliff.

However, the casting has been met with criticism online based on Heathcliff's race and Cathy's age in the book.

Read more: Jacob Elordi responds to shock reactions over Saltburn's 'disgusting' bathtub scene

Jacob Elordi sniffs the candle inspired by the bathwater scene in Saltburn

In the Wuthering Heights novel, Heathcliff is described as a "dark-skinned gipsy". Elsewhere, Brontë also writes that Heathcliff was abandoned as a baby in Liverpool's slave port. This has led many readers to believe that Heathcliff is canonically not white and that he should be portrayed by an actor of colour on screen.

Reacting to the casting, a person tweeted: "I think it’s so unfair and ridiculous how hollywood casting directors keep erasing canonically BIPOC characters in important roles especially in classic literature and historical roles like in Wuthering Heights, the 2011 adaptation is the only one that had an accurate Heathcliff."

Another fan of the book 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!"

In Andrea Arnold's 2011 Wuthering Heights adaptation, Heathcliff was played by mixed-race actor James Howson opposite Kaya Scodelario as Cathy. However, most past adaptations have cast a white actor in the role.

I think it’s so unfair and ridiculous how hollywood casting directors keep erasing canonically BIPOC characters in important roles especially in classic literature and historical roles like in Wuthering Heights, the 2011 adaptation is the only one that had an accurate Heathcliff pic.twitter.com/1WxNmdPtBb
— raa ✶ (@brilliqntfriend) September 23, 2024

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! https://t.co/VqRvlOCvMP
— ⊹˚. ren (@andorlorians) September 23, 2024

Other people have also criticised Margot's casting based on Cathy's age in the original book. Cathy is a teenager in the novel but Margot is 34 years old in real life.

Margot previously produced Emerald's film Saltburn and Jacob starred opposite Barry Keoghan in the movie.

As it stands, Emerald, Jacob and Margot are yet to address the backlash. We'll update you if they do.