Oscar-winning filmmaker Emerald Fennell’s decision to cast Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff in her new adaptation of Wuthering Heights movie has proven controversial since it was first announced. In the novel, Heathcliff is described as “dark-skinned”, and whatever his actual ethnicity may be, his background is constantly discussed in the novel. So, I asked nineteenth-century literature professor, Dr Josephine McDonagh, for her thoughts on the casting controversy. Even as girls, the professor pointed out, the Brontë sisters played games based on an imagined world set in West Africa. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement Advertisement“I think it unlikely that the new adaptation will dislodge Arnold’s movie,” Professor McDonagh continued.

Source: Huffington Post February 08, 2026 03:03 UTC