Filmmaker Emerald Fennell, known for her provocative style, is set to deliver a striking new version of Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights,” with her adaptation slated for release in 2026. The Emerald Fennell Wuthering Heights adaptation moves beyond the conventions of traditional period dramas, aiming instead to capture the novel’s raw emotional force and lasting psychological effects.
This adaptation will coincide with Fennell contributing a foreword to Brontë’s novel for the Female Filmmakers Collection by Simon & Schuster. These paperbacks feature new covers, insights, and curated Easter eggs from renowned directors, with Fennell’s introduction previewing her approach to the story and its personal significance.
A Deeply Personal Interpretation
Fennell has detailed her connection to “Wuthering Heights,” sharing how the novel impacted her during her teenage years in what she describes as a transformative experience. She has explained that her upcoming adaptation is less about visualizing the original plot and more about recreating the overwhelming feeling she had when reading it. In her foreword, Fennell writes,
“It is too slippery, too wild, too good to distill into two hours of film,”
and adds,
“Instead, what I have attempted to do is adapt my own experience of reading it for the first time. It is an adaptation of a feeling: my first disemboweling by the baby god.”
— Emerald Fennell, Filmmaker.
Fennell has also stated that the story’s intensity, rather than any specific sequence of events, will shape her film. She told The Guardian,
“It’s an emotional response to something. It’s primal, sexual,”
— Emerald Fennell, Filmmaker. She has described the novel as “an act of extreme masochism” and acknowledged the controversial passion of the original work:
“There’s an enormous amount of sado-masochism in this book. There’s a reason people were deeply shocked by it.”
— Emerald Fennell, Filmmaker. Speaking about the process of making the film, Fennell observed,
“a kind of masochistic exercise… because I love it so much, and it can’t love me back, and I have to live with that.”
— Emerald Fennell, Filmmaker.
A Ferocious Vision for the Screen
The film is set to feature Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, two of literature’s iconic tragic figures. Reports suggest that Fennell’s take will embrace the feverish and unruly spirit of Brontë’s work, offering a volatile and emotionally charged adaptation distinct from its predecessors. Rather than holding closely to established interpretations, Fennell’s focus is on portraying the lasting emotional wounds the novel can leave behind.
Jacob Elordi, who will portray Heathcliff, has commented on the film’s intensity, describing it as agonizing and “painfully beautiful,” suggesting viewers should expect a powerful emotional journey. The film’s timing, with the foreword’s release on February 3, 2026, and the premiere set for February 13 just before Valentine’s Day, hints at a story more concerned with heartbreak and psychological depth than traditional romance.
Wuthering Heights Inspires Further Creative Works
The cultural impact of “Wuthering Heights” goes beyond Fennell’s film. Musician Charli XCX has announced a new album, also called “Wuthering Heights,” scheduled to arrive on February 13, 2026, through Atlantic Records. The album, containing twelve original songs, includes collaborations such as “House” with John Cale of Velvet Underground, accompanied by a music video taking cues from Fennell’s vision. This cross-media moment highlights the continued influence of Brontë’s gothic classic, with filmmakers, musicians, and other artists drawing from its turbulent energy.
These creative projects, including Fennell’s adaptation and Charli XCX’s album, demonstrate how “Wuthering Heights” remains a forceful inspiration, evolving as it moves through different artistic contexts. The Female Filmmakers Collection from Simon & Schuster, featuring Fennell’s introduction, marks another milestone in the novel’s enduring legacy.
Looking Ahead to a Modern Cultural Revival
With a new foreword arriving early February 2026 and the film debut following closely before Valentine’s Day, anticipation is growing for Emerald Fennell’s distinctive adaptation. By emphasizing the unpredictable, savage qualities at the heart of Brontë’s story, the Emerald Fennell Wuthering Heights adaptation signals a willingness to disrupt tradition and explore previously uncharted emotional terrain.
As the release date for the film approaches, the resurgence of “Wuthering Heights” in both cinema and music suggests that the novel’s themes of passion, obsession, and devastation continue to resonate. Fennell, along with creative talents like Charli XCX, is set to drive this literary classic into a new phase of cultural prominence, reinforcing its lasting relevance for contemporary audiences.
