Wuthering Heights (2026): Plot, Cast and Book Differences

Wuthering Heights (2026) is Emerald Fennell’s deliberately personal reimagining of Emily Brontë’s novel. Margot Robbie stars as Cathy Earnshaw opposite Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff. Following its theatrical run, the film is now available on digital platforms and 4K Ultra HD, according to the official Warner Bros. site.

Spoiler-light plot

Cathy and Heathcliff grow up together at the Earnshaw estate on the Yorkshire moors. Their intense bond develops into a destructive passion, but social position and Cathy’s wish for a secure future lead her toward marriage to Edgar Linton. That choice reshapes the lives of everyone caught between the two households.

Fennell places Cathy and Heathcliff’s attraction at the center of the film. Their connection is romantic, possessive, and often cruel rather than an idealized love story. The result is not a restrained heritage drama or a page-by-page screen version of the novel; it uses heightened sensuality, bold visual symbols, and a modern pop sensibility within a Gothic setting.

Cast and creative team

Robbie and Elordi lead a cast that includes Hong Chau, Shazad Latif, Alison Oliver, Martin Clunes, and Ewan Mitchell. Charlotte Mellington and Owen Cooper play the younger Cathy and Heathcliff.

Emerald Fennell wrote and directed the film and produced it with Josey McNamara and Margot Robbie. Linus Sandgren served as cinematographer, Suzie Davies designed the production, Victoria Boydell edited the film, and Jacqueline Durran created the costumes. Anthony Willis composed the score, while Charli xcx contributed original songs.

How it differs from Emily Brontë’s novel

Warner Bros. describes the movie as a bold, original imagining. The adaptation concentrates on Cathy and Heathcliff, changes the structure of the Earnshaw family, and does not dramatize the entire second-generation half of the book. Several characters and narrative functions are removed or combined.

Those choices make the film closer to a response to Brontë than a comprehensive adaptation. It keeps the central ideas of desire, class, dependency, and revenge, but reshapes them through Fennell’s visual style.

Release date and where to watch

The international theatrical rollout began on February 11, 2026, followed by the United States release on February 13. The official film site now lists digital and 4K Ultra HD availability. Rental services, purchase options, subtitles, and audio tracks vary by country, so the Warner Bros. Watch It page is the safest place to check current regional providers.

Sources

• Warner Bros.: official movie site
• Warner Bros.: official trailer and credits
• The Guardian: review and adaptation changes
• Variety: review and interpretation
• Rotten Tomatoes: first-review roundup