Classic lovers everywhere are celebrating and condemning the upcoming release of the new “Wuthering Heights” movie, directed by Emerald Fennell, who has previously directed other hit films like “Saltburn” and “Anna Karenina.”

“Wuthering Heights,” which is a movie based on the classic novel “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë, is slated to release in theaters on February 13th. The book takes place in the late 18th to early 19th centuries and follows Heathcliff, a dark-skinned orphan who becomes romantically entangled with a wealthy white woman, Catherine Earnshaw. 

The controversy around the movie centers mostly on its casting; actor Jacob Elordi, who recently starred in another gothic novel adaptation, Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” (2025), was cast as Heathcliff. Within the novel, the character of Heathcliff is described as “a dark-skinned gypsy,” (Wuthering Heights, Chapter 1), but Jacob Elordi is a white man.

Many people believe that Heathcliff’s race is essential to his character, which is why they think it is important that it is accurately represented, because it makes sense of the character’s actions and traits within the novel.

An Instagram user’s comment with over 2,000 likes states, “This is one of my favorite books. Heathcliff is repeatedly called dark, gypsy, Cathy literally says he looks like a prince from India. His whole character arc is based on the bad treatment he gets because he’s not white.” 

Another criticism of the casting comes from the popularity of the two main actors, with some people expressing fatigue at seeing “the same people” appearing in movies.

An additional Instagram comment states, “Do they ever hire ANYONE else?!?! I mean they’re great, but for goodness sake there are millions of actors out here.”

With this romantic movie set to release the day before Valentine’s Day, it is expected to do well in theaters globally, especially within its opening weekend.