Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë has been adapted dozens of times, as it is one of the best-known works of literature to date. The classic novel focuses on the Earnshaws and the child that the father brings home one day to live with the family at Wuthering Heights, as well as their neighbors at Thrushcross Grange. It is mostly told through the voice of Nelly Dean, a servant who lived at both manors during long periods of her life and became highly involved in the families’ personal affairs.
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Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, the child her father brought home, form a strong bond and fall madly in love. However, they don’t get to live out a happy love story due to various factors. Many of which are highly modified in Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights. This article dives into the most controversial changes made to Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights in the 2026 adaptation of the book.
Blending of Mr. Earnshaw and Hindley
In the book, Mr. Earnshaw appears at Wuthering Heights with a boy whom he claims to have picked up from the streets. He brings him home to live with his children, Catherine and Hindley Earnshaw, and names him Heathcliff. He is kind to the boy, but his two children pester him a fair bit until Catherine eventually grows fond of him. However, when Mr. Earnshaw passes away, Hindley becomes the man of the house, and it is then that Heathcliff’s role at Wuthering Heights is reduced to that of a servant, and he is forced to work rather than receive an education.
Hindley is not a character in the movie at all; instead, Mr. Earnshaw is the one who brings Heathcliff and mistreats him. In this reality, Catherine is the only one who truly ever liked Heathcliff. While this change isn’t as substantial as others, there is no reason for Mr. Earnshawn to have an entirely different personality, and Hindley to not be part of the story.
Heathcliff Isn’t White
Emerald Fennell has explained to fans why she chose Jacob Elordi to play Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights; she has stated that he resembled the illustration of Heathcliff when she first read the book. This is a very personal choice for the director, and many viewers weren’t satisfied with this explanation, as they believe it does not justify changing a crucial part of the story.
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Even though Heathcliff’s origins are unknown and his race is kept ambiguous in the novel, it is made clear that he has a darker skin tone. This is one of the main reasons why he’s ostracized by the Earnshaw siblings when they are very young. Racism is a key topic in Wuthering Heights, and it is completely erased in the 2026 adaptation.
Sexualization of a Toxic Relationship
Catherine marries Edgar Linton for his money, even though she is in love with Heathcliff. This causes him to run away and return a few years later to marry Isabella Linton to provoke Catherine and attempt to enrage Edgar – all of this while actively seeking revenge by manipulating and mistreating those around him.
While Catherine and Heathcliff are in love, it is far from a romance that should be used as an example of a love story. It’s a love that consumes them both so deeply that Cathy withers away simply due to being apart from Heathcliff, and he swears to wreck every one that has wronged him and their kindred. This love is able to destroy their lives and those of everyone around them.
The movie was clearly marketed as a beautiful romance for the audience to gush over; the trailer’s description mentions that the movie is “inspired by the greatest love story of all time”, and it was even released on Valentine’s Day to incentivize couples to go to theaters and watch it together on a date.
Isabella Linton As a Character
The changes made to Isabella Linton as a character were perhaps the most controversial of all among fans. While in the movie, Isabella is portrayed as Edgar Linton’s ward, she is actually his sister in the book. Heathcliff marries her to get back at the Linton family and as a means to eventually receive their family fortune.
It is no secret that he does not love her; he feels nothing for her except disgust, and he makes this very clear. From the day that she moves to Wuthering Heights, she is immediately miserable, and is eventually forced to run away and live as a single mother – a grand act of bravery, especially in the 1800s. In the movie, it looks almost as if she enjoys being tortured by Heathcliff, and that there is a sort of sadomasochistic dynamic to the pair. This is connected with the previous entry on this list.
- Release Date
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February 13, 2026
- Runtime
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136 Minutes
- Director
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Emerald Fennell
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Margot Robbie
Catherine Earnshaw
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Alison Oliver
Isabella Linton
