4 reasons the new Wuthering Heights is made for the TikTok generation

In 1996 Baz Luhrmann created his version of Romeo and Juliet. At the time, critics called it an adaptation for the MTV Generation, with its campy visuals, modern soundtrack and heart-throb lead Leonardo DiCaprio. The film turned Shakespearean drama into a pop culture feast for the eyes.

Nearly 30 years on, something similar seems to be going on with the upcoming adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel, Wuthering Heights. It’s helmed by Emerald Fennell, the director of Promising Young Woman and the somewhat controversial Saltburn, which also starred Jacob Elordi.

After months of bizarre rumours, we’ve finally got a trailer for the film, which is slated for a February 2026 release… and it seems we’re in for a wild ride.

The trailer gives the impression that the 19th-century romantic sensibility has been translated for a contemporary audience immersed in Instagram aesthetics, social media posts, and BookTok smut.

Here are four reasons why it’s clearly aimed at Gen Z.

1. The marketing-driven casting

Don’t get me wrong: I like Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie very much – they’re both gifted actors and, to put it bluntly, beautiful people. At the same time, I think casting them as Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw is a mistake.

There are ongoing debates on the internet about the ethnicity of the Wuthering Heights’ rogue – so let’s hear from Emily Brontë herself:

But Mr. Heathcliff forms a singular contrast to his abode and style of living. He is a dark-skinned gipsy in aspect, in dress and manners a gentleman.

Let’s be clear: Heathcliff isn’t a Caucasian man, and his race is vital to the plot. Casting an actor of colour in the role of a person of colour would seem the least controversial decision (who am I kidding, of course, there’d be an online row). It’s hard to believe that when the filmmakers had the opportunity to do so, they chose an Australian instead.

As for Catherine Earnshaw, Margot Robbie isn’t the right age to play her. Heathcliff’s beloved appears in the novel as a child and a teenager. With all due respect to the 35-year-old Robbie, it’s hard to believe her as an 18-year-old. Also, she’s blonde, unlike the dark-haired Cathy.

To sell the adaptation of a multi-layered Gothic novel to young viewers, Fennell and Warner Bros. needed actors who would draw to the cinemas a generation who prefer to stream movies at home. The stars of Barbie and Euphoria were perfect for this purpose, despite having little in common with the characters in the book.

Luckily for Wuthering Heights, Elordi and Robbie are very talented actors – at least, we can be sure that they both will give passionate performances.

2. Highly stylised visual design makes for viral clips

The story of Heathcliff and Catherine takes place mainly between 1771 and 1784. The photos from the set indicated that Fennell wasn’t paying much attention to historical accuracy (was I the only one who thought Catherine’s wedding gown resembled Princess Diana’s?). The first teaser confirmed these suspicions.

Fortunately, it’s not just an ignorant disregard for historical research, but planned stylisation. The vivid colours, furniture from different eras, dreamy lighting, and surreal decorations look fascinating and will surely appeal to Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest users. I can already imagine influencers creating Cathy-style outfits or Wuthering Heights-inspired make-up.

That’s not a bad thing in itself. If Yórgos Lánthimos can present highly-stylised versions of bygone eras in The Favourite and The Poor Things, and Guillermo del Toro can do so in Frankenstein, then why can’t Emerald Fennell? I’m all in for creative eclecticism, as long as it’s well-thought-out and serves the story.

3. Amplifying the novel’s sex and violence

After the first test screenings of Wuthering Heights, rumours spread about the perverse scenes of sex and violence, as well as the suggestive symbols that saturate Fennell’s film. And this is something that could concern fans of the novel.

Brontë’s book is dark and violent. However, the writer doesn’t rely on simple shockers; she achieves a downbeat vibe primarily through profound psychological portraits, a gloomy setting, and ambiguity. Wuthering Heights is a story of desire, hatred, toxic love, violence, and addiction. As if that weren’t enough, the times in which Heathcliff and Catherine lived were harsh.

When graphic scenes of sex or violence are used to create an unvarnished portrait of the past, I’m all for it. But as anyone who’s seen Saltburn can attest, Fennell does love a bit of sensationalism for its own sake. If Wuthering Heights contains anything as meme-able as references to Jacob Elordi’s bathwater, which sent the internet into a frenzy, it’ll create a buzz, for sure – at the same time killing the Romantic spirit of Brontë’s novel.

4. The soundtrack by Charli XCX

The biggest surprise about Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is that the songs for the film are written by Charli XCX, a huge pop artist and Gen Z favourite.

Recently, I’ve been thinking that the trend of using contemporary music in period films was dying out. Around 15 years ago, it was intriguing and refreshing to hear a pop song in a historical drama. However, the more such productions appeared, the more gimmicky it became.

I have nothing against Charli XCX herself, but let’s be honest: a pop star making songs for Wuthering Heights is a cheap move to attract a young audience to the cinemas. The song in the trailer doesn’t contribute at all to creating a gothic atmosphere; however, it may easily become a Spotify hit.

One comment below the Wuthering Heights teaser mockingly suggests that the film will be a combination of Bridgerton and 50 Shades of Grey. Although this joke captures the spirit of what we’ve seen so far quite well, I really hope that the film will be something more.

I hope Emerald Fennell’s adaptation will be a creative experiment and an intelligent play on the source material, rather than a shocker for the social-media-obsessed and those with short attention spans.

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