Emily Brontë Experts & Museum Staff React To Wuthering Heights Adaptation’s Controversial Changes

by

People who work at the Brontë Parsonage Museum, Emily Brontë’s former home, and scholars of her work have shared their thoughts on the latest film or television version of her famous novel.

The team at the Brontë Parsonage Museum, located in the Brontë family’s historic home in Haworth, saw a screening of Emerald Fennell’s new film, Wuthering Heights, hosted by Warner Bros. on Thursday. While the movie took some liberties with the original novel – notably, casting Heathcliff as white and adding more adult content – most viewers responded favorably.

Rebecca Yorke, director of the museum and Brontë society, explained (in a statement to The Guardian) that they had no involvement in the film’s production. However, Emerald Fennell attended their Brontë women’s writing festival in September and gave a thoughtful talk about Wuthering Heights and how the novel resonated with her personally. Yorke added that any fresh take on a story will likely be more popular with some people than others, and that’s perfectly natural – it often leads to interesting discussions.

Sue from the learning department acknowledged that “some might not appreciate the changes,” but believes the film is enjoyable on its own merits. Diane, the outreach officer, put it simply: it’s not a strict adaptation for fans of the book, but it is a fun take on the story. According to The Guardian, staff are hoping the movie will inspire viewers to pick up the original book and explore its deeper themes.

Emerald Fennell explained to ScreenRant that when adapting Wuthering Heights, she focused on the core relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff, recognizing that’s what resonates most with fans of the book. Ruth, from the Brontë Museum, agreed, noting the film captures the essential heart of the story and the connection between those two characters.

Mia, who works on digital engagement, described the film as feeling like “a fever dream.” Dr. Claire O’Callaghan, Brontë’s latest biographer, also saw the film at its premiere in Leeds on Friday and called it “really refreshing.” She explained that the movie doesn’t try to stay true to the source material, which she believes is a good thing. She felt that a more traditional period drama might have caused more criticism, but this version is so different and exaggerated that it avoids that problem.

O’Callaghan praised the movie, saying it’s both entertaining and emotionally powerful, with strong performances from the cast. However, reviews have been mixed. Critics disagree on the chemistry between Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, who play Cathy and Heathcliff, and also have different opinions about the film’s central themes.

Despite generally positive reviews and a 66% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Gregory Nussen of ScreenRant gave the film Wuthering Heights a low score of 4 out of 10. He criticized it as being visually beautiful but ultimately lacking substance, describing it as ‘flavorless, skin-deep and oddly staid.’

The house where Emily, Charlotte, and Anne Brontë created their famous novels – and where Emily passed away at just 30 years old in 1848, shortly after publishing Wuthering Heights – was purchased in 1928 by Sir James Roberts and given to the Brontë Society. It might be unexpected, but those who work with the Brontës’ legacy and are experts on their work are responding positively to the new film, just like general audiences. This is despite the fact that the film takes significant liberties with the original story.

Wuthering Heights is now in theaters.

Read More

2026-02-16 16:40